SCOTLAND

Commonwealth Games: Glasgow

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department is taking to support Glasgow's bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has been working closely with the Scottish Executive, DCMS and the Intellectual Property Office to facilitate and support Glasgow's bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
	I and my right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister, have all backed Glasgow's bid, and hope that all the hard work of the Bid Committee is rewarded by Glasgow being named as the winning city.

Departments: Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office had no reclassification changes following the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

David Cairns: None.

Departments: Correspondence

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many letters he and his predecessors have sent in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: Scotland Office Ministers receive a range of letters each year including from Members of Parliament, Peers, Ministers, a range of external bodies and members of the public. Some are answered by Ministers and some by officials. The figures for the last five years are shown in the table.
	
		
			   Total letters received by Scotland Office Ministers  Letters receiving ministerial reply  Letters receiving official reply 
			 2002-03 2,168 807 1,361 
			 2003-04 1,461 334 1,127 
			 2004-05 1,325 271 1,054 
			 2005-06 1,129 228 901 
			 2006-07 1,252 292 960 
			 Total 7,335 1,932 5,403

Departments: Correspondence

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many letters were sent by officials in his Department to Scottish Executive departments in each month since January 2005.

David Cairns: Daily contact between Scotland Office and Scottish Executive officials is usually by telephone, e-mail or in person. The Office does not maintain a central record of letters sent to the Scottish Executive, the costs of which would be disproportionate.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library a breakdown of his Department's efficiency savings in relation to its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets, including  (a) the efficiency projects in the Department,  (b) the date on which they were initiated and  (c) how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

David Cairns: Following the 2004 spending review, provision for the Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate General was flat in nominal terms over the SR04 period. The Offices are committed to achieving efficiency and effectiveness in all areas of their activities and reduced their complement by over 21 per cent. between 2003-04 and 2004-05 with further reductions thereafter. Details are contained in the Offices' Annual Reports.

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many websites his Department operates; how many it operated at 1 January 2005; and what the estimated annual cost has been of running his Department's websites in the last five years.

David Cairns: The Scotland office only operates one website:
	www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk.
	At 1 January 2005 it also operated the website for the 'Arbuthnott' Commission on Boundary Differences and voting Systems:
	www.arbuthnottcommission.gov.uk.
	Both websites were established in 2004-05. The total annual costs of designing, building and hosting the websites are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2004-05 24,978.49 
			 2005-06 4,791.26 
			 2006-07 1,163.26

Departments: Internet

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hits the  (a) most popular and  (b) least popular website run by his Department has received since 1 January 2007.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has only one website:
	www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk.
	This site received 61,015 visits between January 1 and August 31 2007, by 30,825 unique visitors.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the name is of each special adviser in his Department.

David Cairns: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

David Cairns: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract for Special Advisers". Copies of the "Model Contract" are available in the Libraries of the House.

Departments: Official Engagements

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his official engagements were between 9 September and 7 October.

Des Browne: On Sunday 9 September and Monday 10 September I had no Scotland Office engagements.
	On Tuesday 11 September I was in London where I met the Electoral Commission and had various other meetings including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the Scotland Office and MOD.
	I was in Scotland from Wednesday 12 September to Sunday 16 September. On Wednesday 12 September I delivered a speech at the International Conflict Resolution Seminar at the University of Glasgow. On Thursday 13 September I met the Royal Mail in Edinburgh. On Friday 14 September and Saturday 15 September I was in my constituency.
	From Monday 17 September to Wednesday 19 September I was in London where I had various meetings including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the Scotland Office and MOD. On Tuesday 18 September I met the Chairman of OFCOM.
	From Thursday 20 September to Saturday 22 September I was in Scotland. On Thursday 20 September I was in Glasgow where I attended the opening of the new BBC building at Pacific Quay. That afternoon I met the chair of the Scottish Interfaith Council. On Friday 21 September and Saturday 22 September I was in my constituency.
	From Sunday 23 September to Wednesday 26 September I was at the Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth.
	On Thursday 27 September I was in London where I had various meetings including with officials from the Scotland Office and MOD.
	From Friday 28 September to Monday 1 October I undertook no Scotland Office engagements.
	From Tuesday 2 October to Wednesday 3 October I was in London where I had various meetings with ministerial colleagues and officials from the Scotland Office and MOD.
	From Thursday 4 October to Sunday 7 October I was in Scotland. On Thursday 4 October I was in Edinburgh where I had various meetings with Scotland Office officials and had a lunch meeting with the RBS Director of Group Economics and Corporate Affairs at their HQ in Edinburgh. From Friday 5 October to Sunday 7 October I was in my constituency.

Departments: Press

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland to which periodicals his Department subscribes.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office currently has no subscriptions to periodicals.

Departments: Press

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on newspapers and magazines in the last 12 months.

David Cairns: £9,753.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

David Cairns: The vast majority of questions tabled to the Scotland Office are 'ordinary' written and, of the small amount of 'named day' questions tabled, approximately 85 per cent. received a substantive reply on the day named.

Domestic Visits

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many journeys  (a) Ministers and  (b) Civil Servants in his Department made between London and Scotland on official business in each month since January; and how many of these journeys were made by (i) aeroplane, (ii) train and (iii) car.

David Cairns: The information requested is set out in the following table; there were no journeys by car. In relation to ministerial journeys, the information relates to travel paid by the Scotland Office. This does not include weekly travel between London and Ministers' homes in Scotland, paid by the House of Commons.
	
		
			   Number of Journeys( 1) 
			   Aeroplane  Train 
			   Ministers  Civil servants  Ministers  Civil servants 
			 January 2007 0.5 23.0 0.5 7.0 
			 February 2007 0.5 21.0 1.0 4.0 
			 March 2007 1.0 32.0 — 8.0 
			 April 2007 1.0 23.5 — 6.5 
			 May 2007 0.5 22.0 0.5 8.0 
			 June 2007 4.0 30.5 — 12.5 
			 July 2007 1.5 23.5 — 11.5 
			 August 2007 1.0 7.0 — 4.0 
			 September 2007 2.0 17.5 — 6.5 
			 (1) A return journey is classed as one journey; if, for example, the outward leg of a journey is undertaken by air and the return by train, this is shown as 0.5 of a journey under each column.

Legislative Drafting

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many responses the Scotland Office has received to the consultation on the Government's legislative programme.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office received 314 hits on our website pages dedicated to the Government's draft legislative programme: the first to be published in advance of the Queen's Speech. We received three substantive comments on the programme. Other Departments have also received responses on the programme from across the United Kingdom. The Leader of the House of Commons has already committed to publishing a summary of all consultation responses received by the Government and she will do so at the start of the next session.

Ministerial Duties

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his official engagements were for the period of 22 July to 8 September.

Des Browne: holding answer 17 September 2007
	From Monday 23 July to Thursday 26 July, I was in London where I had various meetings including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the Scotland Office and MOD. I attended Cabinet on Tuesday 24 July. On Friday 27 July and Saturday 28 July I was in my constituency in Scotland.
	From Monday 30 July to Tuesday 31 July, I was in London where I had various meetings with colleagues and officials from the Scotland Office and MOD.
	From Wednesday 1 August to Sunday 5 August, I was in Scotland. On Wednesday 1 August and Thursday 2 August I had various engagements in Edinburgh including a visit to Standard Life; Meeting with the Bio-Industry Association; Meeting with Archangel Investment; Visit to Aegon; Visit to Selex Sensors. On Friday 3 August following surgeries in my constituency I visited Rolls Royce, East Kilbride (jointly as Secretary of State for Defence). On Sunday 5 August I attended the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland performance in Glasgow.
	From Monday 6 August to Friday 10 August I undertook no Scotland Office engagements.
	On Saturday 11 August following constituency engagements during the day, I attended an evening performance of On Danfe at the Edinburgh Playhouse.
	On Monday 13 August I hosted a Borders and Immigration Agency reception at the Scotland Office, Edinburgh. On Tuesday 14 August I visited WL Gore Co Ltd, Livingston (jointly as Secretary of State for Defence). On Wednesday 15 August I had various MOD meetings in London.
	From Thursday 16 August to Monday 20 August I was in Scotland. On Thursday 16 August I had various engagements in Edinburgh including a visit to Seebyte (jointly as Secretary of State for Defence); Meeting with SBAC Scottish Council; Meeting with the First Minister. On Friday 17 August I visited Mahle Engine Systems, East Kilbride; I hosted a Scotland Venezuela Reception at the Scotland Office, Edinburgh and attended the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela concert at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh. On Sunday 19 August I spoke at the Celebration of Indian Independence Dinner in Glasgow. On Monday 20 August I met the Chief Executive of Scottish and Southern Energy, Perth and visited Highland Spring. That afternoon I travelled to Glasgow to visit the Diageo bottling plant and I delivered a speech that evening at the SCDI Influencers Dinner.
	On Tuesday 21 August I was in London where I had various meetings with Scotland Office and MOD officials.
	From Wednesday 22 August to Saturday 25 August I was in Scotland. On Wednesday 22 August I visited a waterfront regeneration project in Edinburgh, and travelled to Glasgow for an afternoon meeting with the STUC at their offices. On Thursday 23 August I travelled to Aberdeen where I visited REPower and a Scotch whisky distillery. On Friday 24 August and Saturday 25 August I was in my constituency.
	From Sunday 26 August to Saturday 8 September I had no Scotland Office engagements.

Official Engagements

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his official engagements were in the week of 16 to 21 July.

Des Browne: From Monday 16 July to Thursday 19 July I was in London where I had various meetings, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the Scotland Office and MOD. On Tuesday 17 July I attended Cabinet and appeared before the Scottish Affairs Select Committee for an oral evidence session on the Scotland Office Annual Report. On Friday 20 July and Saturday 21 July I was in my constituency in Scotland. On the afternoon of Saturday 21 July I attended the UK Youth Parliament annual sitting at the University of Strathclyde (jointly as Secretary of State for Defence).

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Budget Support

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 809, on budget support, what the membership of the Independent Advisory Committee on Development Impact is; what its terms of reference are; and when he expects its first report to be published.

Douglas Alexander: Using the recommended procedures of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, an independent selection panel has been taking forward selection of a suitable chair and members for the Independent Advisory Committee and this is well advanced. I will make a full announcement shortly.
	The committee will meet for the first time on 6 December. One of the first tasks will be discussing its final terms of reference and how it will work, including issues such as timing for the annual report. Meanwhile, draft terms of reference are attached and being made available today on DFID's website.

Departments: Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Gareth Thomas: In CSR 2007, costs of DFID's programme delivery staff overseas are classed as costs of front line service delivery and under the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance (paragraph 4.3) are not included in administration budgets for 2008-09 to 2010-11. In the baseline year (2007-08) costs for the activities re-classified are £64 million and will be not more than £72 million by 2010-11.
	Separately, under paragraph 4.7 of the guidance, HM Treasury has agreed early departures costs (if incurred) of up to £9 million over the CSR period will be within programme rather than administration budgets.

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998.

Shahid Malik: The Department for International Development has no record of any civil law suits which were brought against the Department on the grounds of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library a breakdown of his Department's efficiency savings in relation to its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets, including  (a) the efficiency projects in the Department,  (b) the date on which they were initiated and  (c) how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Douglas Alexander: DFID will deliver £420 million in efficiencies per year by the end of 2007-08; equivalent to at least 3.5 per cent. of the total budget. All efficiency projects began in April 2005. We will achieve this by undertaking reforms to:
	1. Increase the percentage of our country programmes spent on programme based approaches (the target savings for this action to produce by March 2008 is £111 million);
	2. Increase value for money from procurement (£10 million);
	3. Improve our bilateral project performance (£173 million);
	4. Increase our contribution to low-income countries through EC aid (£31 million);
	5. Increase our support to the International Development Association (£75 million);
	6. Reduce our administration costs (£20 million). This includes targets to reduce UK-based full time staff to 1,610 by March 2008 (from 1,907 in March 2004) and a target to relocate 85 posts from the London office to East Kilbride.
	Full details of our Efficiency Programme can be found in DFID's Efficiency Technical Note which sets out all the projects being undertaken, how much each project was forecast to generate and how DFID will deliver and measure its efficiency savings. Recent detail on the Department's progress is provided in DFID's departmental report from May 2007. The report is in the Library and a copy of the Technical Note will be placed in the Library.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Douglas Alexander: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract for Special Advisers". Copies of the "Model Contract" are available in the Libraries of the House.

International Atomic Energy Agency

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) budget for its responsibilities in the areas of (a) verification, (b) safety and (c) security and development; and what his policy is on the future requirements of the IAEA budget.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	The policy of the Government is to pursue zero real growth (ZRG) in the budgets of international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As the fourth largest donor to the Agency the UK places great importance on the IAEA being able to carry out its work effectively, particularly in the areas of verification, safety and security, but also recognize the resource pressures that it is under. The last two agreements to the IAEA's Regular Budget have been above ZRG, and we are confident that the Agency will not find itself under-funded. In addition to our assessed contributions to the Regular Budget the UK makes regular voluntary contributions to support the Agency's verification and security activities. At the same time we wish to see the IAEA use its budgets efficiently, devoting adequate resources to high priorities, screening out lower value work and delivering value for money and we monitor performance closely.

Mozambique: Asylum

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of numbers of refugees from Zimbabwe in Mozambique.

Gareth Thomas: There is no authoritative source recording the extent of cross border movement. According to the UNHCR there are no officially registered Zimbabwean refugees or asylum seekers in Mozambique. However the International Office for Migration (IOM) estimates that between 3,000 and 10,000 Zimbabweans have left Zimbabwe to enter Mozambique. They are largely entering Mozambique under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Facilitated Movement Protocol. Under this arrangement there have always been large cross border movements between Mozambique and Zimbabwe, mainly due to cross border trade and a large cross border common ethnic community. The IOM, Save the Children and UNICEF are undertaking an assessment of official and unofficial cross border flows in late November and their results will be made public later this year.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial support the UK is providing towards  (a) the resettlement of and  (b) reconstruction programmes for the population recently affected by the conflict in the eastern provinces of Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: This financial year DFID has provided £1 million for humanitarian programming to Sri Lanka, with £800,000 given to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and £200,000 through the UN inter agency Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP). Much of this funding is being spent on resettlement and reconstruction programmes in the east.
	DFID monitors the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka through monthly humanitarian updates. The humanitarian situation in the east is gradually improving. Internally Displaced People (IDPs) have slowly been returning and the total number of IDPs have now dropped to 30,000.
	Further DFID missions to Sri Lanka will review the CHAP contribution for 2007-08, assess the humanitarian situation and make recommendations for further support. DFID's work in Sri Lanka is focused on conflict prevention jointly with the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Sub-Saharan Africa: HIV Infection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has any plans to support or encourage HIV/AIDS voluntary testing schemes in sub-Saharan Africa.

Gareth Thomas: DFID will continue to support HIV and AIDS voluntary counselling and testing in sub-Saharan Africa as part of nationally owned and comprehensive approaches to HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment. The UK believes that access to HIV testing services, including counselling, need to be scaled up, but that they must always be on a voluntary basis.
	In Malawi, DFID has committed £45 million over five years to improve access to HIV testing and counselling, anti-retroviral therapy and other related services. In Nigeria, a survey of DFID's behaviour change programme in March this year showed that people's willingness to be tested for HIV had increased from 40 per cent. at the baseline to 54 per cent.
	The UK also funds and supports the provision of voluntary counselling and testing services though contributions to multilateral organisations. DFID has pledged £359 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the 2002-08 period.

Sub-Saharan Africa: HIV Infection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect of HIV/AIDS on the economies of sub-Saharan Africa.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has recently undertaken a desk based review of the economic impact of HIV and AIDS epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence of impact is difficult to assess due to the lack of robust data and complexities of long term inter-generational effects of HIV and AIDS. However, the data available indicate that higher HIV prevalence leads to lower economic growth, lower household income levels, and can increase poverty. International Monetary Fund published research on the economic impact of HIV and AIDS suggests that where HIV prevalence is greater than 20 per cent. among the working age population, growth declines per annum by up to 1.5 per cent. and that per capita incomes will fall by 67 per cent. over a 20 year timeframe compared to the scenario without HIV and AIDS.
	United States Agency for International Development (2005) cite evidence that AIDS deaths in Zimbabwe, where prevalence levels are 20 per cent., led to a sharp fall in household agricultural output: a 61 per cent. decline in maize production, 49 per cent. decline in vegetable output and 47 per cent. decline in cotton output.

Sub-Saharan Africa: HIV Infection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has received on the provision by the United Kingdom of medical training and expertise to doctors dealing with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has received representations from civil society organisations (e.g. Save the Children Fund), international agencies (e.g. the World Health Organisation), African Governments and regional institutions (e.g. Africa Union), on the provision of medical training of doctors and other health workers to deal with HIV and AIDS and other critical health issues in sub-Saharan Africa.
	The UK Government have led the way on this issue. The UK committed £1 million to the Global Health Workforce Alliance which will hold the first global forum on human resources for health in Uganda in March next year to specifically look to agree a roadmap to address health worker training in sub-Saharan Africa. DFID programmes also help strengthen African health systems and train and retain health workers. In Malawi DFID is providing £100 million over six years to support health systems strengthening, including efforts to increase human resources to manage the extra demands to support its response to HIV and AIDS. DFID is working closely with the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS (PEPFAR) to align efforts to strengthen African countries health systems and scale up the numbers of trained health workers. The UK Government also funds and supports medical training and expertise through support to multilateral organisations, for example, contributing £359 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the 2002-08 period.

Sub-Saharan Africa: HIV Infection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how much funding the UK gave to HIV/AIDS projects in sub-Saharan Africa in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what percentage of UK aid given to sub-Saharan Africa in the latest period for which figures are available was devoted to projects dealing with HIV/AIDS.

Gareth Thomas: Data on DFID's total bilateral expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa and the proportion of this expenditure spent on HIV and AIDS activities over the last five years are laid out in the table as follows.
	
		
			  DFID Bilateral Expenditure in sub-Sah aran Africa, 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			  £ million 
			   Total bilateral expenditure  Expenditure on HIV and AIDS activities  Proportion of total bilateral expenditure on HIV and AIDS (%) 
			 2002-03 703 89 12.7 
			 2003-04 672 106 15.7 
			 2004-05 825 124 15.1 
			 2005-06 1,097 164 15.0 
			 2006-07 1,107 168 15.2 
		
	
	DFID also provides funding to multilateral organisations and civil society organisations. This will also contribute to the funding of HIV and AIDS activities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sub-Saharan Africa: HIV Infection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to assist the provision to HIV/AIDS victims in sub-Saharan Africa of access to the best available treatment and drugs at affordable prices.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is working with African governments, civil society, donors and international agencies to ensure that people living with HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa have access to affordable treatment, as well as prevention and care services. DFID supports treatment through programmes aimed at strengthening health systems and comprehensive nationally-owned HIV/AIDS plans in several countries. Our bilateral programmes include Rwanda, where DFID provides support worth £4.25 million through non-governmental organisations towards anti-retroviral therapy, and community-based care to 2,500 HIV positive female genocide survivors and their families. And in Zimbabwe, DFID is providing £20 million over 4 years to increase by at least 50 per cent. the number of people able to access anti-retroviral therapy.
	The UK also funds and supports the provision of anti-retroviral services via multilateral organisations. DFID has pledged £359 million to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over the 2002-08 period. DFID was one of the founding members of UNITAID, the new drugs purchase facility established in September 2006, with a €20 million annual commitment increasing to €60 million per year by 2010 subject to performance.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any of his Department's special advisers has declared a conflict of interest.

James Plaskitt: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers. Copies of the Model Contract are available in the Libraries of the House.

Departments: Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions he has visited each region in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Anne McGuire: Since taking up post, on the 28 June 2007, the Secretary of State has visited the south east, south west, east of England, Yorkshire and the Humber and London. He has also visited Wales in a ministerial capacity, and Scotland. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

New Deal Schemes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of participants in each of the new deal programmes returned to out of work benefits, including those who continued to claim an out of work benefit while participating in the new deal, in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: pursuant to the reply ,  29 October 2007, Official Report, c. 762-63W
	The revised available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage of new deal participants who returned to out of work benefits in each year from 1998 
			   New deal for young people  New deal 25 plus  New deal for lone parents  New deal 50 plus  New deal for disabled people  New deal for partners 
			 1998 79 81 76 n/a n/a n/a 
			 1999 83 90 79 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2000 83 90 77 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2001 83 87 78 n/a 85 n/a 
			 2002 81 82 71 n/a 72 n/a 
			 2003 77 81 71 n/a 69 n/a 
			 2004 72 75 69 61 59 35 
			 2005 65 72 63 61 54 34 
			 2006 50 66 57 61 55 28 
			  Notes:  1. Data refer to the year in which individuals left new deal, which may not be the same year in which they subsequently claimed a benefit.  2. Data include people who were claiming a benefit before participating on new deal who continued to claim during participation and after leaving the programme.  3. Benefits included are: incapacity benefit, income support and jobseeker's allowance. 4. Information for new deal for disabled people is only available from 2001 and from 2004 for new deal 50 plus and new deal for partners.  5. Latest complete year data are for 2006.  6. Programme start dates are: new deal for young people: January 1998; new deal 25 plus: July 1998; new deal for lone parents: October 1998; new deal for partners: April 1999; new deal 50 plus: April 2000; new deal for disabled people: July 2001.  Source: Information Directorate, DWP.

Winter Fuel Payments: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for winter fuel payments were made in Peterborough constituency in each year since their introduction.

Mike O'Brien: Information relating to winter fuel payments for the winters of 1997-98 and 1998-99 is not available. The information from winter 1999-2000 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Peterborough constituency 
			   Payments made 
			 1999-2000 15,520 
			 2000-01 17,070 
			 2001-02 17,110 
			 2002-03 17,170 
			 2003-04 17,200 
			 2004-05 16,930 
			 2005-06 16,940 
			 2006-07 17,100 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.

Winter Fuel Payments: Walsall

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received the winter fuel allowance in the Walsall North constituency in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06.

Mike O'Brien: Information relating to winter fuel payments for winters 2004-05 and 2005-06 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Walsall North constituency 
			   Payments made 
			 2004-05 16,260 
			 2005-06 16,300 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.  Source: Information directorate 100 per cent. data.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Accountancy

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission when he expects copies of the Electoral Commission's Resource Accounts for 2006-07 to be available in the Vote Office.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that its Resource Accounts for 2006-07 were laid before Parliament by the Comptroller and Auditor General on 17 July 2007, and made available in the Library. They will be published by TSO (The Stationery Office), and copies placed in the Vote Office, on 1 November.

Recruitment

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the costs were to public funds of the recent recruitment competition for Electoral Commissioners.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that the direct cost to public funds of the recent recruitment process for four Electoral Commissioners was approximately £120,000.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Medical Equipment

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what resuscitation equipment is provided in each building on the parliamentary estate; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Defibrillators are kept in the Palace of Westminster, Portcullis House, Norman Shaw North, 1 Canon Row and at 7 Millbank. A more extensive range of equipment including oxygen is kept by the practice nurse in the lower waiting hall.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Alexander Litvinenko

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Solicitor-General what representations she has received on the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service  (a) to charge Andrei Lugovoi and  (b) not to charge any others for the murder of Alexander Litvenenko; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: Neither I, nor my predecessor have received any representations on the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service since its announcement.

Criminal Proceedings: Foreign Relations

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Solicitor-General what account is taken when determining whether to charge an individual with a criminal offence of the impact on international relations as a consequence of prosecution; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: All charging decisions are taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. If there is enough evidence to provide a 'realistic prospect of a conviction' against the defendant, an assessment is then made whether a prosecution would be in the public interest. The likelihood of harm to international relations is one of the public interest factors that may affect the decision to prosecute, to the extent compatible with our international law obligations. The more serious the offence, the more likely it is that a prosecution will be needed in the public interest.

Forensic Science: Standards

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Solicitor-General what mechanisms exist to ensure consistency of decision-making within the Crown Prosecution Service on the assessment of forensic evidence; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: All prosecution decisions are taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors. When making the decision whether to prosecute, prosecutors must apply the two stage test contained within the Code for Crown Prosecutors. The first stage is consideration of the available evidence. For a case to proceed, there must be sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction against the defendant on each charge he or she faces. This includes considering whether the evidence can be used in court and whether it is reliable. Prosecutors will review all the evidence, including any forensic evidence, in accordance with these principles. Only if there is sufficient evidence, will prosecutors then consider the second stage, which is whether a prosecution is required in the public interest.

PRIME MINISTER

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister what office assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office today.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office today.

Lord Chancellor: Pensions

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister what the pension arrangements are for the previous Lord Chancellor; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my predecessor to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 19 June 2003,  Official Report, columns 393-4W.

Ministers: Pay

Mark Hoban: To ask the Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost of paying additional  (a) salaries and  (b) pension contributions for the seven additional Ministers he has employed since 27 June 2007.

Gordon Brown: The Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 limits the number of ministerial salaries to 109—the number of ministerial salaries paid both immediately before and after the changes to the Government made in June. Ministerial salaries and pensions are payable in accordance with the Ministerial and other Salaries Act 1975 and the Ministerial and Other Pensions Act 1991 respectively.

OLYMPICS

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how much was spent by her Office on official hospitality since its establishment.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics on how many occasions she has visited each region in an official capacity since appointment.

Tessa Jowell: Since my appointment as Minister for the Olympics in June 2007, I have visited the West Midlands for the 2007 UK School Games as part of the 2012 Roadshow and the South East for the BAA Wheelpower Workshop at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium. I will be making further a 2,012 visits around the UK in the coming months.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Members: Correspondence

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Olympics when she plans to answer the letter of 30 August from the right hon. Member for Leicester East.

Tessa Jowell: I replied to my right hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East on 11 October 2007.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Olympics when she next expects to make an announcement on Olympic funding; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I expect to provide a further update on the Budget early in the new year.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what effect she expects the 2012 Olympic Games to have on the North West region.

Tessa Jowell: The 2012 Olympic games and Paralympic games will have a great effect across the UK, including the North West region, through social, economic and sporting benefits. The North West launched their regional plan to maximise the impact of the games in their area on 11 May 2007. Further details can be found on the North West Regional Development Agency website. The main legacy ambitions for the region are: to increase participation through sport and active recreation; maximise links with Liverpool Capital of Culture as a key element of the launch of the Cultural Olympiad; build capacity in the volunteering infrastructure and promote volunteering opportunities. Another key priority for the region is targeting information and support for North West businesses. To date over 600 businesses have signed up for business e-alerts for 2012 opportunities.
	The North West also sits on the Nations and Regions Group (NRG), which has been established to maximise participation in the games and to ensure benefits from 2012 are spread across the UK. These opportunities include hosting pre-games training camps; participation in the 2012 Torch Relay; being one of the 70,000 volunteers needed for 2012 and winning business contracts.
	Further detailed information regarding the region's plan can also be provided by the relevant NRG Coordinator, Rob Young (North West Regional Development Agency, PO Box 37, Renaissance House, Centre Park, Warrington, WA1 1XB).
	In addition, Old Trafford, Manchester (home of Manchester United FC) will host rounds of the football competition during the games.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics when she will next announce progress on the London 2012 Budget.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 16 October 2007
	 I expect to provide a further update on the Budget early in the new year.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics whether any of the £2.7 billion contingency fund announced as part of the Olympic budget in March 2007 is drawn from the National Lottery.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 22 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for the Olympics on which dates updates to financial estimates have been made by the Olympics cost review group.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1604W, on the Olympic Games, what confidentiality arrangements were agreed at the meeting of 26 January 2006.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what decision timescales were agreed at the meeting of the Olympics cost review group on 21 February 2006.

Tessa Jowell: The minute of the cost review group meeting of 21 February 2006, does not indicate that any decision timescales were agreed at this meeting, but that the basic timeline/ critical path of planning/compulsory purchase order expenditure, should be presented at a future date.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what meetings she has had with the Olympic Delivery Authority to discuss diversity in relation to procurement contracts awarded as part of the development of the 2012 Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: I have regular meetings with the Olympic Delivery Authority to discuss all aspects of policy and delivery and the Government places great importance on diversity in procurement. The ODA procurement policy published last year incorporates the diversity and equality standards to be considered in procurements by the ODA and their main contractors.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Olympics which groups have been consulted as part of the process for awarding contracts to companies for the development of the Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) published its Procurement Policy in March 2007, following consultation which generated responses from over 60 groups and organisations. These include; the Federation of Small Businesses, Social Enterprise London, the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality, the Transport and General Workers Union, various trade associations, and local government.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what factors were considered as part of the process of awarding contracts for the development of the Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has a statutory obligation to comply with EU public procurement directives and the UK public contracts regulations 2006. The ODA's Procurement Policy published in March 2007 also documents the ODA's core procurement values that underpin its approach to procuring the goods and services required for its delivery programme. This is available on the London 2012 website at:
	http://www.london2012.com/documents/business/oda-procurement-policy-in-full.pdf

Olympic Games: Greater London

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what meetings she has had with the Olympic Delivery Authority to discuss the process by which tier two and below contracts are awarded to companies to build the 2012 Olympic Games stadium; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1594W, on the Olympic Games: Greater London, which Government department or body the person who gave a stock-take of work on security at both meetings referred to was representing.

Tessa Jowell: The stock take on security, given at the Cost Review Group meetings of 26 January 2006 and 25 April 2006, were given by the Home Office, who lead on games-related security.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Bob Neill: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what  (a) discussions she has had on and  (b) assessment she has made of the merits of transferring responsibility for any of the (i) land or property and (ii) liabilities resulting from the Olympics legacy to the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 25 October 2007
	The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) already owns a significant amount of land within the Olympic Park and elsewhere on which Olympic venues and facilities will be situated.
	My officials have been discussing with the LVRPA and other partners the arrangements needed to manage and operate the land, property and other assets and liabilities arising from London 2012. These discussions, which are ongoing, include consideration of the LVRPA's long-term role in the management and delivery of the legacy of the Olympic Park.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what estimate she has made of the financial and social effect on Greater London of staging the 2012 Olympics, with particular reference to the London borough of Sutton.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what locations in the East Midlands are being considered to serve as training sites for athletes for the 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2007,  Official Report, column 117W, on Olympic Games: Greater London, what proportion of the Legacy Trust will be allocated for funding  (a) cultural activities and  (b) sporting activity.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Diane Abbott: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what steps she has taken to promote relevant training and development opportunities in those boroughs where hosting the London Olympics in 2012 is likely to create jobs; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departments: Accountancy

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what accounts directions were issued by his Department in financial years  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Edward Miliband: Under the Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000, HM Treasury issue accounts directions to Departments, pension schemes and agencies and under the Government Trading Fund Act 1973 to trading funds.
	For the years 2005-06 and 2006-07, Cabinet Office has issued accounts directions for the form and content of resource and other accounts to the following sponsored bodies:
	2005-06: None
	2006-07: Capacity Builders (UK) Ltd.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Gillian Merron: The Cabinet Office is currently engaged in identifying assets which could be potentially sold.

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998;
	(2)  how many civil law suits in which proceedings are not ongoing have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on the grounds of the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much these settlements cost.

Edward Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Cost-effectiveness

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the most recent conference on delivering value for money organised by the Cabinet Office was held.

Gillian Merron: Cabinet Office has not organised any conferences on delivering value for money.

Departments: Manpower

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) full-time,  (b) part-time and  (c) voluntary (i) special advisers, (ii) consultants and (iii) secondees worked for his Department in each month since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  whether Mr. Bob Shrum has been allocated space to work within  (a) the Cabinet Office and  (b) Downing Street offices;
	(2)  whether any funding from the public purse has been provided to  (a) Mr. Bob Shrum and  (b) a company with which Mr. Bob Shrum is associated for (i) speech writing, (ii) political consultancy and (iii) advisory purposes by (A) the Cabinet Office and (B) Downing Street.

Edward Miliband: Mr. Bob Shrum has not been allocated an office or provided with a salary or any other payments from the Cabinet Office or 10 Downing street.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Edward Miliband: Special advisers are appointed under the terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract for Special Advisers". Copies of the "Model Contract" are available in the Library of the House for the reference of Members.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Gillian Merron: The information is contained in the Cabinet Office annual reports and resource accounts for each financial year. Copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House for the reference of Members.

Food

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress the Cabinet Office's Strategy Unit is making in its project on food and food policy; which  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations are contributing to the project; what work has been undertaken on the project; what areas of food policy the project (i) has covered and (ii) will cover; which (A) Government departments and (B) other bodies are being asked to contribute to the review; what the content of these contributions is in each case; when he plans to publish a report on the project; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Miliband: The Strategy Unit project on food and food policy in the UK is examining trends in the production and consumption of food, the key drivers of those trends and the implications for the wider economy, society and the environment. It will look at the opportunities and challenges facing the food system, including issues such as diet's contribution to public health, food safety, changing consumer tastes and preferences, and environmental sustainability.
	The project team is drawn from the Strategy Unit, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Food Standards Agency, working closely with the Department of Health, and is calling on expertise and inputs from across Government. The project is in an initial analytical phase; later phases will draw out wider policy implications. The project team will be consulting with interested stakeholders from civic society, industry and academia later in the year.
	The project is expected to conclude in the spring of 2008; the format of final outputs and publication plans have yet to be decided.

Michael Ellam

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what date the decision was taken to appoint Michael Ellam as the new Downing street Head of Communications; and what appointment process was followed.

Edward Miliband: Michael Ellam was appointed as the Downing street director of communications and Prime Minister's official spokesman on 27 June, following standard processes for an internal move within the civil service.

Official Residences: Dorneywood

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance on the use of Dorneywood by Ministers and civil servants for conferences, away days and other functions.

Gillian Merron: Guidance on the use of official residences is set out in the "Ministerial Code". Dorneywood is held in Trust for use as an official residence, as has been the case under successive administrations. My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has the use of Dorneywood as an official residence. He is keen to ensure that other Ministers are able to use Dorneywood for official engagements and is currently in discussions with the Trustees of Dorneywood about such use.

Whips

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many rooms in Number 12 Downing Street are allocated to  (a) Government Whips,  (b) communications and  (c) special advisers.

Edward Miliband: Offices in No. 12 Downing street are used by the Government Whip's office and communications staff.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts Council of England: Grants

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much grant aid the Arts Council for England has provided to  (a) opera,  (b) ballet and  (c) brass bands over the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Betting

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which organisations responded to his Department's May 2003 position papers on the reform of betting legislation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Our records show that the Racecourse Association, the National Joint Pitch Council, the Horserace Betting Levy Board, Ladbrokes, William Hill, the Sporting Exchange and the Association of British Bookmakers responded to my Department's May 2003 position papers on the reform of betting legislation.

British Waterways Board: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether his Department plans to make a financial contribution to British Waterways; whether he has had discussions with British Waterways on funding; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in time available before Prorogation.

Commonwealth Games

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which UK Government Ministers will attend the announcement of the host city of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Sri Lanka on 9 November.

James Purnell: There are no plans at this stage for a UK Government Minister to attend the announcement of the host city of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Sri Lanka on 9 November.
	The Prime Minister and UK Government have actively supported Glasgow's bid by providing a number of guarantees and agreements in principle, should the bid be successful. It will be supporting the bid in the days ahead.

Cultural Heritage: Databases

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's policy is on the creation of digital records of the UK's cultural assets.

Margaret Hodge: Many of our cultural institutions are creating digital records of their collections. We consider this to be important in terms of preserving those collections and making them available online to the widest possible audiences. To support this, we recently announced £25 million of new funding to secure the future of the national and regional film archives and make them more accessible.
	We will shortly announce an archive review which will provide a basis for a digital strategy for culture in response to the European Commission's European Digital Library proposals.

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Cost-effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what efficiency savings his Department was required to make as part of its Spending Review 2004 SR04 targets; what efficiency projects have been undertaken in the Department in pursuit of those targets; on what date each was initiated; and how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Legislation

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many regulations his Department has  (a) brought forward and  (b) revoked over the last 12 months.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 24 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what policy changes his Department has implemented since 27 June 2007.

James Purnell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what percentage of Questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Margaret Hodge: According to the DCMS PQ database, in the 12 month period from 1 October 2006 the Department received 418(1) named day questions of which 245 (59 per cent.) received a substantive reply on the day named.
	(1 )This figure includes those named day questions tabled to and answered by the Minister for the Olympics.

Digital Broadcasting: Eastern Region

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the take-up of digital television in  (a) Suffolk and  (b) the East of England was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

James Purnell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in time available before Prorogation.

Digital Broadcasting: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government  (a) has taken and  (b) intends to take to assist senior citizens in the West Midlands to prepare for the switchover from analogue to digital TV.

James Purnell: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme: East Midlands

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the percentage of households in the East Midlands that will qualify for assistance in switching over to digital television.

James Purnell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in time available before Prorogation.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme: Eastern Region

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what percentage of households he estimates will qualify for assistance in switching over to digital television in  (a) Suffolk and  (b) the East of England.

James Purnell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Digital Switchover Help Scheme: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government  (a) have taken and  (b) plan to take to assist elderly people in London to prepare for the switchover from analogue to digital TV; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

English Heritage: Greater London

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what projections were made of the number of staff English Heritage who would move to Bunhill Row, London.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

English Heritage: Greater London

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many English Heritage staff relocated from London to other parts of the country in each year since 2000.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Football: Community Development

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which football clubs receive Government funding to operate community schemes; what assessment he has made of these schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in time available before Prorogation.

Listed Buildings

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many grade  (a) I,  (b) II* and  (c) II listed buildings there are.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

National Lottery

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how much has been spent on the administration of the People's £50 million Lottery contest;
	(2)  how much the Big Lottery Fund has granted to the  (a) Black Country Consortium Ltd,  (b) Eden: the Edge,  (c) Sherwood: The Living Legend and  (d) the Sustrans' Connect2 projects; and for what purposes;
	(3)  how much was allocated to each organisation bidding for the People's £50 million Lottery contest by the Big Lottery Fund in order to help prepare for participating in the contest.

James Purnell: holding answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

National Lottery: Grants

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much lottery funding was awarded to projects in  (a) Wirral South,  (b) Wirral,  (c) Merseyside,  (d) the North West and  (e) England per head of population in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The figures for grants awarded during the last five completed financial years for the areas requested are set out in these tables. The Department's Lottery Grants Database is searchable at www.lottery.culture.gov.uk and uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors. The population figures used are the mid-2005 estimates of the Office for National Statistics, except in the case of Wirral, South where the population figures used are the mid-2004 estimates of the Office for National Statistics.
	
		
			  Wirral, South parliamentary constituency population 73,771 
			  Financial year  Amount awarded (£)  Number of grants  Per capita (£) 
			 2002-03 1,835,483 28 24.88 
			 2003-04 1,448,577 18 19.64 
			 2004-05 680,970 33 9.23 
			 2005-06 206,195 32 2.80 
			 2006-07 76,865 11 1.04 
		
	
	
		
			  Wirral metropolitan borough council population 313,100 
			  Financial year  Amount awarded (£)  Number of grants  Per capita rounded to nearest pence (£) 
			 2002-03 6,186,945 121 19.76 
			 2003-04 3,183,480 84 10.17 
			 2004-05 5,330,409 163 17.02 
			 2005-06 3,064,078 164 9.79 
			 2006-07 1,131,628 77 3.61 
		
	
	
		
			  Merseyside  c ounty population 3,367,100 
			  Financial year  Amount awarded (£)  Number of grants  Per capita rounded to nearest pence (£) 
			 2002-03 42,512,521 652 12.63 
			 2003-04 30,918,619 662 9.18 
			 2004-05 39,815,829 801 11.82 
			 2005-06 23,779,181 862 7.06 
			 2006-07 28,129,579 499 8.35 
		
	
	
		
			  The North West region population 6,846,200 
			  Financial year  Amount awarded (£)  Number of grants  Per capita rounded to nearest pence (£) 
			 2002-03 177,014,570 3,028 25.86 
			 2003-04 156,404,148 2,935 22.85 
			 2004-05 142,274,382 3,665 20.78 
			 2005-06 175,784,749 3,783 25.68 
			 2006-07 90,866,455 2,429 13.27 
		
	
	
		
			  England population 50,431,700 
			  Financial year  Amount awarded (£)  Number of grants  Per capita rounded to nearest pence (£) 
			 2002-03 1,410,310,965 20,625 27.96 
			 2003-04 1,256,960,794 20,684 24.92 
			 2004-05 1,042,049,022 25,007 20.66 
			 2005-06 1,012,563,065 27,526 20.08 
			 2006-07 710,235,535 17,736 14.08

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1604W, on the Olympic Games, 
	(1)  for what reason no agendas were drawn up for the meeting after 9 March;
	(2)  for what reason the meeting of 9 March 2006 was cancelled.

Tessa Jowell: I have been asked to reply 
	as Minister for the Olympics.
	Pursuant to my answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1604W, I can confirm that the meeting of the Cost Review Group on 9 March 2006 took place. It was the meeting scheduled for 19 April 2006 that was cancelled, for diary reasons.
	Copies of agendas for the Cost Review Group meetings of 7 February 2006, 9 March 2006 and 25 April 2006, have now come to light, and I am arranging for these to be placed in the House Library.

Public Libraries: Derbyshire

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding has been allocated to public libraries in Derbyshire in the last five years.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Royal Parks: Finance

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's expenditure was in real terms on the Royal Parks in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 22 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Rugby: World Cup

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he attended the International Rugby Board rugby World Cup Final in an official capacity; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I attended the Rugby Board Rugby World Cup final in an official capacity as guests of the International Rugby Board.
	I congratulate the England team on a tremendous effort in reaching the final and playing with such determination and pride. I am sure their performance will inspire many young people to get involved in rugby.

Sports: Handguns

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the provision and location of facilities to enable British competitors in pistol shooting to practise legally within the UK prior to the 2012 games.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Agreement has been reached in principle on the use of Ministry of Defence ranges by a small squad of elite pistol shooters. The Home Office is currently considering how best to take this forward.
	It will be for Scottish Ministers to decide what arrangements should apply in Scotland.

Televisions: Licensing

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners in the Walsall, North constituency were eligible for a free television licence in each year since its inception.

James Purnell: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Tourism

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made towards improving the productivity of  (a) the tourism industry,  (b) the creative industries and  (c) the leisure industries.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Tourism: Australia

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what activity was funded by the public purse in Australia to encourage visitors to the UK in summer 2007; and how much was spent.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Tourism: Foot and Mouth Disease

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the 2007 foot and mouth disease outbreak on tourism in the South East; whether he has allocated additional funds to promote tourism in this area since August 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Treasure Trove

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many treasure finds were reported in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2005,  (c) 2004 and  (d) 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

UK Film Council: East Midlands

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent by the UK Film Council in the East Midlands in the last six years.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in time available before Prorogation.

VisitBritain: Finance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much he allocated to  (a) VisitBritain and  (b) VisitScotland for (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09, (iii) 2009-10 and (iv) following the Comprehensive Spending Review for the whole SR07 period.

James Purnell: VisitBritain's grant in aid for the present year (2007-08), and for the following three years up to 2010-11 which were the subject of the recent comprehensive spending review, is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2007-08 49.6 
			 2008-09 47.6 
			 2009-10 45.1 
			 2010-11 40.6 
		
	
	DCMS does not fund VisitScotland, which is fully supported by the Scottish Executive.

VisitBritain: Finance

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with VisitBritain on changes to its budget following the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Margaret Hodge: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Where We Live Programme

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much his Department has spent on the Where We Live programme in each of the last three years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 19 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to assist farmers with protection from  (a) flooding and  (b) waterlogging.

Phil Woolas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what his estimate is of the percentage of the 2007 single farm payment which will be paid in  (a) December 2007,  (b) January 2008,  (c) February 2008,  (d) March 2008,  (e) April 2008,  (f) May 2008,  (g) June 2008 and  (h) after June 2008;
	(2)  what his estimate is of the number of the 2007 single farm payment claims which will receive their payments in  (a) December 2007,  (b) January 2008,  (c) February 2008,  (d) March 2008,  (e) April 2008,  (f) May 2008,  (g) June 2008 and  (h) after June 2008.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Rural Payments Agency has a formal target to pay 75 per cent. by value of valid 2007 single payment scheme claims by 31 March 2008 and 90 per cent. by 31 May 2008. The production of reliable estimated monthly breakdowns is not possible because of the number of factors, which may affect the flow of payments.

Air Pollution: Standards

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department received a letter of a formal notice from the European Union Commission for failing to meet its legal obligations in relation to  (a) sulphur dioxide and  (b) nitrogen dioxide pollution of the air; if he will place in the Library a copy of such correspondence; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Angling: Seas and Oceans

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has identified the species of most value to the recreational sea angling sector; and what steps he plans to take to protect and develop those recreational sea fisheries.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA's report "Research into the Economic Contribution of Sea Angling", published in July 2004, provided information on the important sites for sea angling, its contribution to the economy and the value of the experience to anglers. A survey conducted in support of the report identified that cod, bass and mackerel are the top target species for anglers.
	I will shortly be consulting on a draft recreational sea angling strategy, developed collaboratively with key stakeholders in inshore fisheries. The draft strategy considers management measures for species of value to anglers.

Angling: Seas and Oceans

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of commercial catching practices on the recreational sea angling sector.

Jonathan R Shaw: I recently announced new work that will take account of recreational sea anglers' interest in fisheries and consider the impact of different fishing practices. Details are set out in the autumn 2007 edition of Fishing Focus, available in the Library of the House.

Angling: White Fish

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what timetable he has set for the implementation of measures to develop the potential of the UK inshore recreational bass fishery.

Jonathan R Shaw: I recently announced measures that will provide benefits for stocks of bass and recreational sea anglers. Details are set out in the autumn 2007 edition of Fishing Focus, available in the Library of the House. The next step will be to ensure that all stakeholders are engaged in agreeing how and when to take this work forward collaboratively.

Angling: White Fish

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the optimum minimum landing size for bass  (a) to ensure a robust stock structure and  (b) to stimulate the development of the recreational sea fishery sector.

Jonathan R Shaw: Scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea suggests that sea bass are fished sustainably under current management measures which include a minimum landing size (MLS) of 36cm.
	The Regulatory Impact Assessment produced as part of proposals to increase the MLS for bass in England set out the impact of the measures on bass stocks, and the associated costs and benefits for recreational sea anglers and commercial fishermen. This was published on 10 August 2006. Having considered all the evidence available, I recently announced that I will not increase the MLS for bass. Instead, I set out a package of other measures that will provide benefits for stocks of bass and recreational sea anglers.

Animal Experiments: Finance

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much  (a) central Government,  (b) research councils,  (c) UK levy boards and  (d) industry through LINK schemes spent on animal science research and development in each year from 1996-97 to 2006-07; what estimate he has made of the equivalent amounts in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10; what the distribution is of the estimated spend from 2007 to 2010 by type of research and development; and what information his Department holds on comparable expenditure on research and development for animal science by other EU and OECD nations.

Jonathan R Shaw: Spend on animal science research between 1996 to 2007 for central Government (Defra), research councils (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council), UK Levy boards (Meat and Livestock Commission, Milk Development Council) and industry through LINK (Sustainable Livestock Production programme) is tabulated as follows.
	
		
			  Financial year  Defra  BBSRC( 1)  MLC  MDC  Industry through LINK( 2) 
			 1996-97 37.2 23.9 1.7 — 0.3 
			 1997-98 40.4 24.2 1.6 — 0.7 
			 1998-99 44.2 24.4 2.1 — 1.1 
			 1999-2000 49.1 25.5 2.2 3.4 1.8 
			 2000-01 51.0 27.4 2.0 2.2 2.0 
			 2001-02 52.6 28.7 1.7 1.6 1.7 
			 2002-03 55.2 32.9 1.5 1.5 1.3 
			 2003-04 53.9 35.2 1.0 0.9 1.2 
			 2004-05 55.5 39.4 0.9 1.2 1.3 
			 2005-06 52.9 51.9 1.0 1.1 1.4 
			 2006-07(3) 48.4 62.9 1.5 0.7 1.5 
			 2007-08(3) 41.8 66.0 1.5 0.8 0.5 
			 (1 )BBSRC's Animal Sciences Committee supports basic and strategic work on animal function at the level of tissues and systems. This covers the basic and comparative physiology and behaviour of all animals, both invertebrates and vertebrates (including humans), but excludes clinical research and studies aimed at understanding the mechanisms of specific human diseases. Figures presented are estimated, not actual. (2 )Includes levy body funding. (3 )Provisional figures.  Note:  Figures include spend on animal health and welfare research. 
		
	
	The Scottish Government and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland also support animal science research and development that contributes to the UK science base and research outputs in this area.
	Defra and BBSRC are taking forward work to assess current and future skills and capacity needs, which will inform future spending plans.
	Defra does not hold information on comparable expenditure on research and development for animal science by other EU and OECD nations.

Beekeeping

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate his Department has made of the economic benefit to agriculture and horticulture of honey bees.

Jonathan R Shaw: A 2001 Economic Evaluation of DEFRA's bee health programme estimated the value of honey bees to commercial pollination at approximately £120 million, although a recent reassessment taking into account changes in crop areas and values suggests that the value may have increased to some £165 million. No valuation of the role of honey bees in relation to the pollination of wild plants is available.

Bees: Diseases

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much funding his Department provided to support research on bee diseases in each of the last five years; what proportion was to the National Bee Unit; and whether other government departments fund bee research;
	(2)  how much funding his Department provided to support the National Bee Unit in each of the last five years; and how much was spent on  (a) supporting inspectors and  (b) funding research in each year.

Jonathan R Shaw: Expenditure on the National Bee Unit (NBU), which includes the Bee Health Inspection and Advisory Service, by DEFRA and the Welsh Assembly Government is as follows:
	
		
			   Financial year expenditure (£) 
			 2003-04 1,518,000 
			 2004-05 1,518,000 
			 2005-06 1,518,000 
			 2006-07 1,518,000 
			 2007-08 1,518,000 
		
	
	These figures do not include any expenditure on specific research projects, although some of the NBU's activity is in support of research initiatives. DEFRA's annual expenditure on bee health research has averaged around £210,000 since 2001.
	There is an ongoing review of expenditure on all DEFRA programmes, including bee health. Future funding will need to be considered alongside the full range of priorities facing the Department but we will not take decisions that could compromise biosecurity and the sustainability of bee health in England.

Biofuels: Carbon Emissions

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide produced during the production cycle and transport of each type of bio-fuel crop.

Phil Woolas: Lifecycle analysis carried out on the greenhouse gas emissions for a wide range of biofuels show that sustainably produced biofuels can result in an overall net reduction in carbon emissions. Full details of these evaluations, including volumes of carbon dioxide produced during the production and transport cycles, are available on the European Union website.
	The forthcoming Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) will require companies to measure and report on how much carbon their fuel has saved over the entire life-cycle from grain to tank. From 2010, when experience with carbon measurement and reporting has been established, the Government have announced their intention that the RTFO will reward fuels according to their carbon savings.

Biofuels: Finance

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what subsidies have been available for each type of bio-fuel crop over the last five years.

Phil Woolas: Financial support has been made available for bio-fuel crops in the form of annual area based payments under the EU Aid for Energy Crops Scheme (since 2004) and Energy Crop Scheme Establishment grants (for short rotation coppice and miscanthus only). Land used for such crops could, in most circumstances, also be used to support annual payment claims under the single payment scheme since its introduction in 2005.

Bluetongue Disease

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what plans he has for a vaccination strategy for bluetongue disease when a vaccine becomes available;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of doses of bluetongue vaccine which will be necessary to eradicate the disease from the UK;
	(3)  how much bluetongue vaccine his Department has reserved from the developer of the vaccine;

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Bluetongue Disease

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for blood-testing of ruminants outside the bluetongue protection zone to establish the spread of the disease.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Bluetongue Disease

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice he has received on the likelihood of uninfected midges becoming infected in 2008 from biting ruminants which have recovered from bluetongue disease.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Bluetongue Disease

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of the imposition of the localised bluetongue zone on the pedigree sheep and cattle market; and if he will extend the zone to the whole of the UK.

Jonathan R Shaw: Assessments have been made, for the livestock industry as a whole, of the impact of current disease control measures. Separate assessments of the effect on the pedigree sheep and cattle market have not been made as these would be subject to considerable margins of error.
	In agreement with a core group of industry stakeholders, DEFRA remains committed to a disease control approach which aims to contain disease within the current control and protection zones, in line with 'Phase 1' of the UK Bluetongue Control Strategy. This takes into account the epidemiological situation, the time of year (coming towards the end of the vector season), and the cost benefit analysis of disease control measures and their likely economic impacts.
	This assessment remains under constant review, and recognises that efforts to contain disease may become disproportionate to the costs to industry, and therefore the strategy may have to change. However, using the above assessment, this point has not yet been reached.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms are in bluetongue control and protection zones.

Jonathan R Shaw: As of 5 pm on 24 October the current bluetongue control and protection zones contained a total of 233,581 farm premises.
	Of this total, 44,405 farm premises are in the control zones, 9,890 of which hold bluetongue virus susceptible animals. In the bluetongue protection zone there are 189,176 farm premises, of which 53,610 hold bluetongue virus susceptible animals.
	These figures are subject to frequent change as the bluetongue control and protection zones continue to be amended to reflect confirmation of further infected premises.
	 Note: The dataset used to derive these figures is a GB premises list that the RADAR team and National Emergencies Epidemiology Group created. It contains all premises with a live county parish holding number from the VETNET system.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he received the report Bovine TB in Cattle and Badgers: A Report by the Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir David King; when he commissioned the report; what its terms of reference were; what steps he now plans to take; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 Sir David King's report was sent to the Secretary of State on 30 July. On 31 May 2007, my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State noted that once the final report of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) was received, it would be important to have an assessment from the Chief Scientific Adviser of any key scientific issues on the role that badger culling could play in controlling and reducing levels of cattle tuberculosis (TB) in England. On 11 June, Sir David King confirmed that, once the ISG report was received, he would carry out a short assessment of the key scientific issues in this area. Formal terms of reference were not established, although discussions about the broad scope began on 4 June. Following publication of the ISG report on 18 June, more detailed discussions took place about the issues to be covered.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, has been clear that the next steps are for the ministerial team to have discussions with interested parties, including with Professor John Bourne and Sir David King, to gauge their views. We also wish to take into account the views stemming from the current Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee inquiry before we make a decision.
	As the recent debate has shown, the science is complex and publication of Sir David King's advice is not an indication we are near a decision, nor is it an indication of what that decision may be.
	Irrespective of any decision on wildlife control, cattle controls remain of critical importance.

British Waterways Board: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when he plans to decide on the grant his Department will allocate to British Waterways in the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 period; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much grant-in-aid he has allocated to British Waterways for each of the five years following the publication of the Comprehensive Spending Review; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what his most recent estimate is of when British Waterways will complete its maintenance arrears; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The formal CSR settlement for 2008-09 to 2010-11 has been announced. This will now be followed by DEFRA's own financial allocation process, which will take account of the Department's full range of priorities. As part of this process we are discussing a number of funding scenarios with British Waterways (BW) in the context of developing a sustainable and affordable long-term strategy for the waterways. This strategy will consider network condition alongside wider economic, social, and environmental benefits from the waterways. In the short to medium term while the strategy is being fully developed BW plan to hold waterway asset condition broadly at existing levels overall.

British Waterways Board: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to negotiate a long-term contract for the grant funding of British Waterways of  (a) four years,  (b) seven years and  (c) another specified period of time; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: British Waterways and DEFRA are working closely together on planning for the CSR07 period. DEFRA's allocation to British Waterways will be set in the context of the Department's overall priorities and financial resources. We are looking at scenarios for different spend levels and how impacts are to be managed in the context of a new long term strategy that will deliver a network that is sustainable and affordable.
	DEFRA and British Waterways recognise the value of giving British Waterways more security in its long term funding so that it can be more certain in its decision making, but the Department needs to retain some flexibility over budgets within a tight CSR settlement. We will continue to consider this issue with BW, including in the context of the current review of options for BW's future status.

Carbon Emissions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he plans to take to encourage low income families to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 25 October 2007
	Our fuel poverty policies aim to improve the energy efficiency of homes of the fuel poor. The Warm Front Scheme is the Government's main programme for assisting vulnerable households in the private sector in danger of fuel poverty. Eligibility for the Scheme is based on the applicant qualifying for one of a number of benefits.
	Through the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC), we require energy suppliers to meet targets for the promotion of improvements in household energy efficiency in Great Britain. They do this by encouraging and assisting consumers to take up energy efficiency measures like insulation.
	Under the third phase of the EEC 2008-11, known as the Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) we will maintain a focus on low-income consumers. Under the current Energy Efficiency Commitment, energy suppliers are required to direct at least 50 per cent. of energy savings to a priority group of low-income consumers. As a result EEC will make some contribution to the eradication of fuel poverty.
	We continue to grant fund the Energy Saving Trust, which provides information and advice on energy saving action to individuals and householders, including those on low-incomes, via their Energy Efficiency Advice Centres and grant information database.

Cattle

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle there were in the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Total cattle and calves on registered holdings in the UK are shown as follows.
	
		
			   Total cattle and calves 
			 1998 11,518,817 
			 1999 11,423,355 
			 2000 11,134,613 
			 2001 10,602,135 
			 2002 10,345,261 
			 2003 10,508,150 
			 2004 10,588,105 
			 2005 10,770,221 
			 2006 10,578,831 
			 2007 10,311,756 
			  Note: Figures for 1998 to 2004 are from published June Survey data. The 2007 cattle figures have been sourced from the Cattle Tracing System (CTS) in England and Wales, the equivalent APHIS system in Northern Ireland and survey data in Scotland. For continuity data for 2005 and 2006 have also been calculated using the CTS and APHIS data. We estimate the effect of the change in data source has been an increase in cattle numbers by between three and 4 per cent.  Source: June Agricultural Survey (1998-2004), CTS and APHIS (2005-07).

Climate Change

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made with its policy on formulating a global climate change framework since the production of the document entitled A Global Compact on Climate, produced on 10 June 2004.

Phil Woolas: Since June 2004, the UK has worked hard to reinvigorate the international negotiations on a post-2012 climate change framework, particularly through its 2005 G8 and European Union (EU) presidencies.
	At the Montreal United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting (COP11, COP/MOP1) in December 2005, parties to the Kyoto Protocol and under the UNFCCC) agreed to begin discussions (not negotiations) on strengthening the implementation of the Convention through the so-called Convention Dialogue.
	These discussions have been continuing since December 2005 and at the climate change conference in Bali in December 2007, COP13 parties will have to agree on the continuation of this Dialogue and its conversion into negotiations, which focus on the contributions from developing countries.
	This important decision will make it possible to start negotiating a global and comprehensive climate change framework.

Climate Change: United Nations

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress was made on tackling climate change at the UN Secretary-General's meeting of Heads of State and Government on climate change in New York on 24 September 2007.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 29 October 2007
	On 24 September, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened the first-ever meeting of Heads of State and Government focused on climate change. World leaders expressed their will to tackle climate change through concerted action, sending a strong political signal ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali.
	164 member states participated including 80 heads of state. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State emphasised the need to clearly set out a plan for avoiding dangerous climate change—to move from an international global warming pact in Bali this December to a global and comprehensive agreement, rooted in the UN Framework Convention, by December 2009 in Copenhagen.
	Four sessions were held throughout the day on the key issues of adaptation, mitigation, technology and financing. Speaking in the financing plenary my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State pushed for limiting temperature rise to two degrees through a global reduction of 50 per cent. in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 on 1990 emissions; binding targets for all Annex 1 developed countries to reduce emissions and generate the carbon market finance needed to help developing countries—whose responsibilities would increase as they developed; and innovative financing for avoided deforestation, adaptation and clean energy.

Departments: Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Jonathan R Shaw: No budget items have been reclassified as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007. The Review and its outcome as announced on 9 October were agreed on the basis of the current HM Treasury Consolidated Budgeting Guidance.

Departments: Alnwick

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total number of reductions proposed is in the Department's staff at its offices in Alnwick, Northumberland.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 19 October 2007
	In the current financial year 2007-08, shared services directorate (SSD) in Alnwick has plans to reduce existing staff levels by six FTE (full-time equivalents) as the result of the implementation of new technology that makes invoice processing more efficient. This will be achieved from not renewing short and fixed term appointments. While SSD is committed to continue to drive operational efficiencies, the current intention is that any resulting job losses would be offset by the increase in the volume of transactions to be processed by the Alnwick team as more members of the Defra network take services from SSD.
	The anticipated reductions from restructuring and business improvement in our Chief Information Officer's directorate have been partly offset by the transfer of some additional work from London. Overall staffing in Alnwick will be reduced by the equivalent of seven full-time posts by April 2008. These reductions are being achieved through voluntary early retirement/severance and the transfer of common service functions to an external facilities management provider.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Jonathan R Shaw: For reasons of commercial sensitivity it is unfortunately not possible to itemise the net book value and expected sale revenue of each asset currently planned for disposal. However the Department is taking professional advice to ensure value for money and to maximise the return on these disposals.
	The Department currently anticipates total receipts from the sale of assets of approximately £9 million in 2007-08; 3£6 million in 2008-09; £10 million in 2009-10 and £5 million in 2010-11. The disposals planned for the latter three years will form part of the Department's Asset Management Strategy to be published in December this year.
	Estimates of sale proceeds are subject to fluctuations in the property market and cannot be guaranteed, nor can it be stated with certainty exactly when these sales will take place.
	It should also be noted that the figures apply to the wider DEFRA network, not just to the core Department. The assets in question are surplus or under-utilised land and property. The largest anticipated sale is that of DEFRA-owned land and buildings at Guildford, and we expect this to account for approximately one third of the income from asset disposals over the period 2007-08 to 2010-11.

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Fish

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which companies have contracts to supply his Department with fish; and when those contracts will end;
	(2)  what consideration his Department has given to introducing a sustainable seafood procurement policy;
	(3)  what quantity of cod from the North Sea or Eastern Baltic was procured by his Department in 2006.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Food

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of each type of food served in his Department's catering establishments was of (a) British and (b) Welsh origin in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Jonathan R Shaw: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract for Special Advisers". Copies of the "Model Contract" are available in the Libraries of the House.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the name is of each special adviser in his Department.

Jonathan R Shaw: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on official hospitality by his Department in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: From information held centrally, the core-Department's expenditure on hospitality from October 2006 to September 2007 inclusive is £467,347. All hospitality expenditure incurred by the Department is made in accordance with departmental guidance based on the principles set in Government Accounting.

Departments: Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions he has visited each region in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: Since taking office on 27 June, the Secretary of State has visited the English regions as set out in the following table. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.
	
		
			   Number 
			 North West 1 
			 South East 4 
			 West Midlands 2 
			 South West 1 
			 East of England 1 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 2

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Jonathan R Shaw: The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following supplementary estimates—rather than against plans at the start of the year—as plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as machinery of government and classification changes. The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper (PEOWP).
	In financial years 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05, the outturn for DEFRA's capital budget at the end of each year was less than the final budget provision for the year. Details and reasons for the variances are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Capital expenditure  Final budget provision  Outturn  Variance 
			 2001-02 515,580 477,008 -38,572(1) 
			 2002-03 567,527 493,582 -73,945(2) 
			 2003-04 362,618 332,755 -29,863(3) 
			 2004-05 331,330 326,887 -4,443(4) 
			 (1) The underspend arose mainly from capital grant payments in respect of flood defence to the Environment Agency flood and coast protection grants to the local authorities.  (2) The key underspend was on various capital projects within the core Department (£88 million), its agencies and sponsored bodies including EU structural schemes (£22 million) which was partially offset by overspend of around £39 million on capital grants.  (3) The underspend was mainly due to in-house capital projects within core DEFRA and capital grants to local authorities.  (4) The underspend mainly related to in-house IT capital projects within core DEFRA 
		
	
	.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the considerable budgetary problems as a result of unfunded pressures in the 2006-07 financial year were referred to in the Government's response to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's Seventh Report of Session 2006-07, page 2; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many citizens' juries have been arranged by his Department since June 2007; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the estimated cost is of each exercise.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) his Department and its predecessor and  (b) his Department's and its predecessor's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many employees in his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Jonathan R Shaw: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Standards

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of his Department's public service agreement targets  (a) take and  (b) do not take account of rural proofing.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA takes into consideration the impact on rural areas of its other policies. Rural proofing is a technique which aims to ensure that the impact of policies on rural communities is taken fully into account in their development. It is in widespread use, both in developing the two PSAs DEFRA will lead under CSR07 arrangements (on climate change and the natural environment), and in other policy areas for which the department is responsible. One of DEFRA's Departmental Strategic Objectives for the CSR07 period is for "Strong rural communities", showing the continued departmental focus on addressing the needs of rural areas.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what percentage of questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: At 29 October my Department had received 4,692 parliamentary questions, of these 798 were named day.
	376 received a substantive reply on the named day, which equates to 49 per cent.

Diseases: Badgers

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which species of mycobacteria are carried by badgers.

Jonathan R Shaw: Badgers are known to carry Mycobacterium bovis, which can cause tuberculosis in badgers and other animals such as cattle. Research at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency has found badgers with an immunological response to PPD-A, which means they have likely been exposed to M. avium.
	There are many species of mycobacterium and some can be very difficult to culture. Research studies in badgers have concentrated primarily on culture of M. bovis and therefore few other species have been found. Badger samples have been found to harbour M. avium paratuberculosis by researchers in Scotland.

Domestic Wastes: Recycling

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research and statistical data gathering has been undertaken by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies into the proportion and tonnage of household waste collected for recycling which is sent for processing outside the UK.

Joan Ruddock: The Government-sponsored Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has undertaken research to assess the international markets for key recyclable wastes: plastic, paper and glass. These papers are available on WRAP's website.
	DEFRA does not have available data on the proportion of household waste that is sent abroad for recycling. However, based on HM Revenue and Customs figures, it is estimated that in 2006, the UK exported some 8 million tonnes of metal scrap, 4 million tonnes of paper, 441,000 tonnes of plastic and 136,000 tonnes of glass cullet. These figures will include recyclable materials collected from all sources including households, commerce and industry.

Energy: Conservation

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish the report required by the Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Act 2006 on progress towards the domestic energy efficiency targets set in the Housing Act 2004.

Phil Woolas: The Government's Fourth Annual Progress Report on progress towards the 2003 Energy White Paper goals was published as Annex A of the Energy White Paper, on 23 May 2007.

Energy: Conservation

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what definition he is using of the rest of the public estate as it appears at paragraph 140 of his Department's document, Energy Efficiency: The Government's Plan for Action (Cm 6168), published in April 2004.

Phil Woolas: The building procurement targets referred to in the 2004 Energy Efficiency Action plan were superseded in October 2005 by Common Minimum Standards for Construction Procurement, which apply to central Government and other public sector organisations such as local authorities, health trusts and the police. In June 2006 the Prime Minister announced stretching Sustainable Operations targets for the central Government estate. The UK published its latest Energy Efficiency Action Plan in June 2007.

Energy: Conservation

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much of the £20 million announced in the 2006 Budget to help local authorities, households and others to promote energy efficiency has been allocated to  (a) the East of England and  (b) Suffolk.

Phil Woolas: It is too early to say.
	As part of a broader reprioritisation, related to wider budget pressures, funds have been reduced to £15.25 million. Of this, £4.75 million has been provided to the Ofgem-led Energy Demand Research trials that were launched in July 2007. £10 million has been provided to the Carbon Trust's Partnerships for Renewables, announced in September 2006. Of this, approximately £70,000 has already been allocated for feasibility studies in the East of England. We are considering options for the best use of the remaining £0.5 million.

Farmers: Income

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average income for farmers  (a) per capita and  (b) per hectare was in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 25 October 2007
	The average net farm income per farm business(1) and per hectare is shown in the following table.
	(1) These results relate to farms of size at least ½ Standard Labour Requirement, a size considered sufficient to occupy a farmer half-time.
	
		
			   March to February each year 
			   2000-01  2001-02( 1)  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 NFI (£) 10,600 14,900 16,600 29,500 21,200 21,100 
			 NFI £ per ha 81 106 115 214 159 164 
			 (1) Excludes farm subjected to compulsory foot and mouth disease cull.  Source: Farm Business Survey 
		
	
	Net farm income is defined as the return to the principal farmer and spouse for their manual and managerial labour and on the tenant type capital invested in the business.

Farmers: Income

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the proportion of farm households that are below the Government's low income threshold.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 For the population as a whole, the Government have a preferred measure of low income' defined as 60 per cent. of the median equivalised income for all UK households after tax. It may be presented either before housing costs or after housing costs.
	The Farm Business Survey is not able to provide figures for household income net of tax so farm household incomes cannot be compared directly with the low income threshold. Instead, they are compared with a modified low income threshold defined as 60 per cent. of the England median equivalised income before tax and before housing costs. This has been calculated from 2004-05 Family Resources Survey data and shows that 31 per cent. of farm households(1) were below the modified low income threshold in 2005-06.
	(1) These results relate to farms of size at least ½ Standard Labour Requirement, a size considered sufficient to occupy a farmer half-time.

Fisheries

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to bring forward proposals to act on the recommendations of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit's Net Benefits report.

Jonathan R Shaw: Our plans to take forward the recommendations in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report "Net Benefits" were set out in "Securing the Benefits", a joint UK response. The recommendations concerned with fisheries in England were addressed in DEFRA's "Charting a New Course". Both documents were published in 2005 and are available in the Library of the House.

Flood Control

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to improve building design and urban design to manage surface water better.

Phil Woolas: We expect to make a range of announcements on how to better manage surface water drainage in the upcoming Government Water Strategy. This will take on board the recommendations set out in Sir Michael Pitt's interim report on Lessons Learned, due out later this year; and results emerging from the 15 pilot projects on urban drainage that DEFRA is currently funding.
	For new development, the Government are encouraging use of sustainable drainage systems (SUDS). These comprise a variety of techniques ranging from source control to infiltration, conveyance and storage features. Building Regulations provide guidance on the incorporation of SUDS in drainage systems, stating that the preferred option for surface water drainage should be to an adequate soakaway or other infiltration system.
	In addition, the Government's recently strengthened guidance on development and flood risk, PPS25, encourages operating authorities to consider a more holistic approach to managing surface water, for example through the development of Surface Water Management Plans.

Flood Control: Finance

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2007,  Official Report, column 85W, on Flood Control: Finance, when he plans to publish the set of criteria which has been developed to provide greater clarity on what funding and policies for flood and coastal erosion risk management are intended to achieve.

Phil Woolas: Following public consultation, new Outcome Measures for flood and coastal erosion risk management were agreed in June and the details have been published on the DEFRA website.
	It is anticipated that the Outcome Measures will be used to set targets progressively during the period covered by the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, starting with the capital programme in 2008-09. An initial review is planned for the second half of 2008 to inform any Spending Review in 2009.

Floods: Housing

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in each  (a) region,  (b) county and  (c) local authority area were classified as being at risk of flooding in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Floods: North West Region

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to upgrade drainage and sewer systems to protect against flooding, with particular reference to the North West.

Phil Woolas: Water and sewerage companies are responsible for operating and maintaining the public sewerage. They are currently formulating their long-term plans for delivering improvements to sewerage networks to ensure they meet consumer expectations and legal obligations over the long-term. Ofwat will next set price limits in 2009 for the period 2010-15 and these plans will be considered by Ofwat and the Environment Agency.
	My Department is leading development of the cross-Government strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management—Making Space for Water. This is looking at a broad range of sustainable measures to manage the risk from all forms of flooding—river, coastal, groundwater, surface run-off and sewer, including consideration of urban drainage.
	In addition, our new national strategy for water, which will be published early in 2008 to take account of interim findings from Sir Michael Pitt's review of this summer's flooding, will consider surface water management and flooding with other aspects of water supply and demand, water quality, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Fly Tipping

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken by his Department to tackle fly tipping.

Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Fly Tipping: Databases

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities comply with Government guidelines when entering records on the Flycapture Database so that those records are harmonised and the resulting published tables reflect a fair comparison of local authority performance.

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will assess the adequacy of the landfill allowance under the landfill tax scheme for local authorities with rising populations.

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of replacement white goods and televisions were recycled in England in the last year for which figures are available.

Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Food

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of  (a) the food produced in the UK and  (b) the UK's annual food requirement was produced in (i) England, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 The proportion of food produced in the UK which is produced in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland based on the farm-gate value of raw food is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 England 71 71 70 71 72 
			 Wales 8 8 8 8 7 
			 Scotland 13 13 13 12 13 
			 Northern Ireland 9 9 9 9 8 
			 UK 100 100 100 100 100 
		
	
	No figures are available for the UK population's annual calorific food requirement. However, figures based on levels of consumption in the UK are available. The following table gives the proportion of food for human consumption in the UK which is produced in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland based on the farm-gate value of raw food:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 England 44 45 43 42 42 
			 Wales 5 5 5 5 4 
			 Scotland 8 8 8 7 7 
			 Northern Ireland 5 6 6 5 5 
			 UK 62 64 62 59 58

Foot and Mouth Disease

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to improve communication methods between his Department's officials and farmers during foot and mouth disease outbreaks.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 29 October 2007
	It has been a priority for Defra Ministers and officials to work closely with, and listen to, farmers and the leaders of industry during the outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD). Defra has been working closely with a wide range of farming industry stakeholders on a daily basis to ensure that there is effective communication with farmers.
	All registered keepers of livestock within the initial FMD Protection and Surveillance Zones were contacted within 24 hours of the zones being declared.
	Since the start of the FMD outbreak on 3 August, approximately one million information messages have been sent to stakeholders. These include voicemail messages, text messages, e-mails and facsimiles. In addition, approximately 10,000 information packs have been sent to registered livestock keepers. Furthermore, Animal Health has launched a public voice recorded information line which is intended to serve an audience who are unable to access the Defra website. The Defra Helpline is also available for all queries relating to FMD.
	Defra officials are keen to receive any specific proposals from stakeholders and livestock keepers about how communication methods could be further improved in the event of a disease outbreak.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Compensation

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on compensation to farmers who have been affected by export bans arising from the most recent foot and mouth outbreak.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 19 October 2007
	It is a long established principle that the Government do not meet the costs of consequential losses which must be borne by the industry. However, we are acutely aware of the difficulties facing the industry at this time and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced on 8 October a compensation package for England worth £12.5 million. This included £2 million to promote the sales of red meat and pork domestically and in our export markets.
	Promoting consumption is an important first step towards recovery. Of the £2 million committed to domestic sales promotion, some will also go to facilitating and promoting exports, including looking further ahead to re-entering traditional third country markets.
	We are in discussions with the British Pig Executive and the English Beef and Lamb Executive on how this can be spent most effectively. On 12 October, exports of meat to the EU were resumed from most of the country. We are working closely with the European Commission to decrease the restrictions that are in place on these exports, and to increase the area of the country where exports can take place from.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will meet Shropshire farmers to discuss financial support following the foot and mouth outbreak in Surrey.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 8 October, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced a support package worth £12.5 million to stimulate the market and assist those livestock farmers worst affected by restrictions imposed as a result of foot and mouth disease (FMD) 8 October 2007,  Official Report, column 39.
	Additionally, we have taken a risk-based and staged approach to easing movement restrictions when the evidence indicates that it is appropriate to do so. This is the best way to facilitate the return to normal working for the industry. All FMD-related restrictions in Shropshire were lifted on 17 October.
	No further announcements on financial support are planned, but the Secretary of State would be happy to meet the hon. Member and a delegation of Shropshire farmers. He has asked his diary secretary to contact the hon. Member's office.

Fuel Poverty

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes there have been to the Government's approach to fuel poverty as a result of the new public service agreements.

Phil Woolas: In line with new public service agreements (PSAs), fuel poverty has been announced as an indicator within Defra's and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's departmental strategic objectives.
	Fuel poverty is also incorporated within delivery agreements for Her Majesty's Treasury's Child Poverty PSA, Department for Work and Pension's Independence and Well-being in Later Life PSA, and Department of Health's Better Health and Well-being PSA.
	The Government remain committed to tackling fuel poverty and promoting effective cross-departmental work to this end.

Government Departments: Combined Heat and Power

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the target to source 15 per cent. of the electricity consumed on the Government estate from combined heat and power by 2010 will be met; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Government estates performance in meeting this target is assessed by the independent Sustainable Development Commission which concluded in its 2006 report that although an increasing number of Departments were procuring electricity from good quality combined heat and power in 2005-06, take-up remains at a low level. However, the applicability of this target depends on whether Departments in their energy procurement strategy have alternatively secured 100 per cent. renewable electricity. Since the overall goal for Government Departments is to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency plus increase usage of renewable energy resources, progress on this target should be seen in the context of the performance on energy overall.

Government Departments: Combined Heat and Power

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of electricity consumed on the Government estate is sourced from combined heat and power; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Sustainable Development in Government (SDIG) Report 2006, published by the independent Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), which monitors how the Government manage sustainably their land and buildings notes that during the reporting period 2005-06, seven Departments sourced good quality combined heat and power (CHP). A total of 2.2 per cent. of electricity from the central Government estate for this reporting period was sourced from good quality CHP. Departmental data for 2006-07 will be published by the SDC in the new year.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's best practice policy is on the number of bids from contractors which should be obtained before a Warm Front grant may be given.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 The appointment and management of contractors working on the Warm Front Scheme is undertaken by the Warm Front Scheme Manager, Eaga plc.
	Contractors were selected at the beginning of the current phase of the Scheme in June 2005 via a comprehensive procurement exercise that complied with the requirements of the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) tendering regulations.
	Prices for Warm Front work were set centrally, on a regional basis, as part of the competitive tendering process. In August 2007, White Young Green (WYG), in their role as independent auditors of the Warm Front Scheme, completed a review of the price of gas central heating equipment provided under the Scheme (taking into account regional variances). This review indicated that the measures provided are cost competitive against the market average. This review will shortly be available on the DEFRA website.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how frequently Warm Front's pricing structure for boiler and central heating installation is reviewed.

Phil Woolas: Warm Front's pricing structure for boiler and central heating installations was set by competitive tender in 2005, and was reviewed in June 2007.
	In addition the independent scheme auditors, White Young Green, undertook a review of Warm Front prices against the wider market in August 2007. This review will be available on the DEFRA website shortly.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many boilers were replaced by the Warm Front programme in each of the last three years; and what the average cost was of a replacement boiler.

Phil Woolas: The following table shows the number of replacement boilers installed, and their average cost, under Warm Front since the introduction of 'heating for all Warm Front eligible clients' in 2005.
	
		
			  Period  Number of boiler replacements  Average  c os t (£) 
			 1 June 2005 to 31 March 2006 28,011 2,407.12 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 53,694 2,547.53 
			 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007 53,694 2,434.90 
		
	
	Coincidently, the number of boiler replacements for two of the aforementioned listed periods are the same. The average cost is different because the levels of labour involved in the replacement, and the capacity of the boiler, varies from household to household.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new radiators were installed using Warm Front grants in each of the last three years; and for how many properties.

Phil Woolas: The following table shows the number of new radiators installed using Warm Front grants since the introduction of heating for all Warm Front eligible clients in 2005:
	
		
			  Period  Number of new radiators  Number of households 
			 1 June 2005 to 31 March 2006 48,554 11 ,049 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 160,743 36,714 
			 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007 93,356 23,218

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Warm Front grants have been made  (a) in total,  (b) of the maximum £2,700 and  (c) of under £2,700.

Phil Woolas: Since the introduction of the £2,700 grant maxima for Warm Front in 2005:
	 (a) 478,617 grants have been made in total;
	 (b) In 74,957 cases the total cost of the works undertaken in that household has exceeded the grant maxima, and therefore, the full £2,700 has been utilised;
	 (c) In 403,633 cases less than the £2,700 grant available has been utilised.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many quotes for boiler replacement by Warm Front exceeded £2,700 in each of the last three years.

Phil Woolas: The following table shows the number of Warm Front quotes for boiler replacements that exceeded 2,700, since the introduction of heating for all Warm Front eligible clients in 2005.
	
		
			  Period  Number of quotes exceeding £2,700 
			 1 June 2005 to 31 March 2006 364 
			 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 10,755 
			 1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007 12,458

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Contracts

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  which companies won the tender to supply boiler and central heating installations for Warm Front; and where they are located;
	(2)  how many companies participated in the competitive tendering bid to win the Warm Front boiler and central heating installation contract; and where they are located.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 29 October 2007
	Following a Defra managed competitive tendering process, two contracts were awarded for the supply of materials to the Warm Front scheme.
	The successful bidders were Graham Group (Saint-Gobain) which has headquarters in Binley, and Plumb Centre (Wolseley) which has headquarters in Leamington Spa. Both suppliers have local distribution centres nationwide.
	30 companies were invited to participate in the pre-qualification, following which eight were invited to bid, four submitted bids. The appointment of Warm Front installers is carried out by the Warm Front scheme manager, Eaga plc. A total of 218 companies bid to work on the scheme with 83 appointed to work on central heating. These installers are based across the country.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Contracts

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which contractors are used by the Warm Front scheme in the East Midlands.

Phil Woolas: The following 30 contractors are used by the Warm Front Scheme in the East Midlands:
	Better Plumbing Services, BGC Ltd., Blue Flag, Castle Point Insulation Ltd., Cosy Home Insulations Ltd., East Coast Gas Services, Fenhams Contracts, Glowwarm Central Heating Ltd., Heating Efficiency Services Ltd., Heating Renewables Ltd., Iguana Services Ltd., Interglow, J. and J. Crump and Sons Ltd., Joatrad Services Ltd., JPS Insulation Ltd., Kershaw Contracting Services Ltd., KHI Ltd., Mark Insulations, Miller Pattison, Millfold, Paul Brant Plumbing and Heating Ltd., Perry Electrical, Premier Energy Solutions, Pro Gas Ltd., Smethwick Energy Action Ltd., Solar Wall Ltd., Sun Realm Ltd., StayWarm Insulation, UK Quality Solutions, Westville Insulation.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Contracts

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list all current Warm Front contractors; and what the value was of each contract for the 2006-07 financial year.

Phil Woolas: The following information shows a list of current Warm Front Scheme contractors . It is not possible to indicate the value of each contract for the last financial year at a reasonable cost.
	 Company
	1A Autoheat Ltd. T/A Gascare
	1st Saxon - Clenmay Ltd.
	A & N Evans Plumbing & Heating Ltd.
	A. K. M. Heating Ltd.
	Amara Heating Ltd.
	Amberglow Central Heating Services
	AMD Heating
	ASBRO Ltd.
	AW Fairhurst Ltd.
	B & R Heating Ltd.
	B. Bowden & Co. Ltd.
	Better Plumbing Services Ltd.
	BGC Ltd.
	Blue Flag Ltd.
	Cable Network Construction
	Central Installations Ltd.
	City Utility Services
	Compass Gas Ltd.
	Complete Electrical (UK) Ltd.
	Cosytop Thermal Insulations Ltd.
	D J Heating Ltd.
	Dane Housing (Congleton) Ltd.
	Darfield Heating Services Ltd.
	Dawsetway Ltd.
	Direct Line Maintenance Services Ltd.
	Domestic & General Insulation Ltd.
	Dyson Insulations Ltd.
	East Coast Gas Services (Grimsby)
	Enterprise Managed Services Ltd.
	Excelsior Homecare Ltd.
	F J Jones Heating Engineers Ltd.
	Fenhams Contracts
	Gas Call Services Ltd.
	Gavin Ward Ltd.
	General Gas Services Ltd.
	Glowarm Central Heating Ltd.
	Glowarm DSP Ltd.
	Govan Gas Services Ltd.
	Harland Rise Ltd.
	Heatex Quality Insulation Ltd.
	Heating Efficiency Systems Ltd.
	Heating Solutions T/A Premier Services
	Home Insulation Services NW Ltd.
	Iguana Services Ltd.
	Interglow (Contracts) Ltd.
	Ivor R. Cook Ltd.
	J M C Plumbing & Heating Ltd.
	J&W Heating and Plumbing Ltd.
	Joatrad Services Ltd. (JSL)
	Johnson & Starley Ltd.
	Kelco Heating Ltd.
	Kershaw Contracting Services Ltd.
	KNW Ltd.
	L&J Electrical and Mechanical Services Ltd.
	Lancashire Mechanical Services Ltd.
	Lofty Installations
	On Tap Heating Ltd.
	Orion Insulation and Construction Services Ltd.
	Paul Brant Plumbing & Heating
	Perry Electrical Ltd.
	Pro Gas Services (Hull) Ltd.
	Proco Services Ltd.
	Quake Energy
	Quality Heating Services Ltd.
	R. McGinty Ltd.
	S & A Heating
	SOL Energy Ltd.
	Southern Electric Contracting Ltd.
	Sun Realm Heating Co. Ltd.
	Super Warm Ltd.
	Sutcliffe Plumbing & Heating (South West) Ltd.
	Swale Heating Ltd.
	The Heating Company (UK) Ltd. T/A Total Trade Services
	The Insulation Company (T.I.C.)
	Viscount Environmental Ltd.
	Warmer Heating Ltd.
	Wessex Electricals (Shaftesbury) Ltd.
	West Anglia Insulation Ltd.
	Zanet Ltd. T/A Gascare Heating

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Costs

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what market testing has been carried out under the Warm Front scheme of the costs of labour, radiators and boilers.

Phil Woolas: In August, White Young Green in its role as independent auditors of the Warm Front Scheme, completed a review of the price of gas central heating equipment provided under the Scheme (taking into account regional variances).
	This review indicated that the measures provided are cost competitive against the market average. The review will be available shortly on the DEFRA website.
	A similar assessment of oil fired systems is near to completion, with early indications, once again, showing the Warm Front scheme to be cost competitive against the market average.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Heating

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes have been provided with heating under the Warm Front scheme in  (a) England and  (b) Bolsover constituency in the last two years.

Phil Woolas: In the last two Warm Front Scheme years 142,041 households have been provided with heating in England and 309 households have been provided with heating in the Bolsover constituency.
	
		
			  The following table shows a yearly breakdown of the figures. 
			   2006-07 ( 1) 2007-08 
			 England 86,527 55,514 
			 Bolsover 142 167 
			 (1 )Year to date figures

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Prices

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how Warm Front's pricing structure for central heating installation was determined.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 29 October 2007
	Warm Front's pricing structure for central heating installation is based on the cost of materials and the cost of labour.
	The cost of materials was determined by a competitive tender process undertaken by my Department to award contracts to supply materials. The contracts were won by Plumb Center (Wolseley ) and Graham Group (Saint-Gobain).
	The cost of labour was determined by a competitive tender process undertaken by Eaga plc. Eaga plc was appointed the main contractor for Warm Front following an earlier competitive tender run by DEFRA. Eaga plc oversaw a competitive bidding process to appoint sub-contractors across the UK to support the delivery of the scheme. Through this process, Eaga plc was able to set regionalised labour prices as determined by the tender.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Prices

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the variation of the market rate for boiler and central heating installation across the UK; and how the variation is reflected in Warm Front's pricing formula.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 29 October 2007
	In August 2007, White Young Green, in its role as independent auditors of the Warm Front Scheme, completed a review of the price of gas central heating equipment provided under the Scheme (taking into account regional variances). This review indicated that the measures provided are cost competitive against the market average. The review will be available shortly on the DEFRA website.
	To control the risk of rising prices, Warm Front obtained a two year price fix on materials starting in June 2005. Following a competitive tender to appoint sub contractors across England, the Scheme Manager, Eaga plc, put in place standard regionalised rates for labour (Eaga plc has reserved the right to re-tender these contracts in 2008).
	Following the recent expiry of the two year price fix on materials, the need to track market changes is clearly important. The White Young Green review has provided confidence that the Warm Front Scheme remains competitive.

Housing: Northamptonshire

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the potential impact of proposed additional housing development in north Northamptonshire over the next three years; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: My Department works closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the environmental dimension of housing policy, including plans for housing growth and the provision of environmental infrastructure. This is evidenced by the strong environmental content of the recent Housing Green Paper. In north Northamptonshire, Defra's agencies have worked with key regional partners to produce a water cycle strategy for Corby, and subsequently the wider north Northamptonshire area, to support the development of the North Northamptonshire Core Strategy.

Inland Waterways: Floods

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with British Waterways on flood management strategies; what funding he has made available to British Waterways for their role in flood management; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: British Waterway's contribution to flood management on a national scale is relatively limited as canals are not designed to take flood flows, but locally its contribution can be significant. British Waterways is currently working on a national flood management plan which will set the framework for addressing current and future risks to its network (due for completion at end of 2008).
	Following the recent heavy floods, the Government have initiated a wide-ranging and thorough review to identify and lessons to be learned for the way that we manage and respond to such flooding events. This is being led by an independent chair, Sir Michael Pitt. All relevant aspects will be included. Initial findings are likely to be published towards the end of the year, followed by a formal report.

Landfill

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will allow local authorities to carry over their landfill allowance credits after the 2010 cut off period provided the UK has reached its EU landfill reduction target by this time.

Joan Ruddock: Under the Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme, allowances have been allocated for waste disposal authorities for each year from 2005-06 to 2019-20. The number of allowances available nationally is limited in order to meet the UK's derogated Landfill Directive targets in 2010, 2013 and 2020.
	Waste disposal authorities (WDA) may not carry over surplus allowances in target years into the following year. This is a consequence of preventing the borrowing of allowances across target years. This check on the scheme is required to ensure that the UK as a whole does not exceed its targets.

Meat: Storage

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what proportion of the private cold storage facility available to his Department was in use for lamb and beef carcasses in the week beginning  (a) 3 September 2007,  (b) 10 September 2007,  (c) 17 September 2007,  (d) 24 September 2007 and  (e) 1 October 2007;
	(2)  what the capacity is of private storage for lamb carcases available for use by his Department in each parliamentary constituency.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA does not hold any food stock or private cold storage facility.

Organic Farming: Diseases

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will review the level of compensation payable for organic or pedigree organic animals slaughtered because they are either infected with or suspected of having bovine tuberculosis, BSE, brucellosis and enzootic bovine leukosis.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Government recognise that the current table valuation based compensation system is a cause of concern to some farmers of organic animals. We are therefore considering whether system enhancements might be necessary, and what these might be.
	While DEFRA has not ruled out the possibility of changes to the compensation system, any changes would need to be justified and take into account the interests of all parties, including taxpayers. They would also need to take account of the extensive evidence in the level of over-valuation experienced under the previous system based on individual valuations.

Overseas Aid: Environment Protection

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the budget is for the Environmental Transformation Fund for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09,  (c) 2009-10 and  (d) 2010-11.

Joan Ruddock: As announced in the comprehensive spending review, the domestic element of the Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF) will total £370 million over the next three years. The domestic funding will be divided between the Department for Business Enterprise Regulatory Reform (BERR) and DEFRA. DEFRA's share of the domestic ETF will be £170 million, to be invested within England, including an increase of £129 million over and above the Department's baseline budget in this area for the next three years. The Devolved Administrations will receive consequential funding from DEFRA's element of the fund.
	Discussions are under way on the allocation of this element of the fund and the breakdown over financial years will be determined in due course.
	In addition, the £800 million ETF International Window, jointly administered by DEFRA and the Department for International Development, is to be provisionally committed over the next three years to £100 million in 2008-09, £200 million in 2009-10 and £500 million in 2010-11.

Packaging: Recycling

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to encourage private and public organisations to recycle packaging waste.

Joan Ruddock: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations oblige businesses, which have an annual turnover of more than £2 million, and which handle more than 50 tonnes of packaging a year, to recover a minimum of 60 per cent. and recycle at least 55 per cent. of their packaging waste by 2008.
	In addition to increasing the levels of recovery and recycling across all packaging materials, they are also driving down the sizing and weight of packaged items. Packaging recycling has doubled since 1997 and statutory binding targets will ensure further improvements.
	The Landfill Tax provides a significant incentive to minimise waste arisings and divert waste from landfill to more sustainable alternatives such as recycling. The Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme (funded from Landfill Tax) allows businesses free and independent support and advice to help them increase their profitability by sending less waste to landfill and recycling more.
	The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which is partly funded by DEFRA, is responsible for delivering greater material efficiency, including increasing recycling rates. Its work on packaging waste interlinks with many aspects of recycling, such as working with local authorities to advise on recycling facilities and overcome barriers to recycling.
	WRAP is working with the retail industry and manufacturers to reduce packaging waste and increase the recycled content of packaging through the 'Courtauld Commitment' agreement. This is a voluntary agreement which aims to halt packaging growth by 2008 and make absolute reductions in packaging waste by 2010.
	The Government are determined to lead the way and has set itself demanding targets for reducing and recycling its own waste. The Government have also committed to using public procurement operations to stimulate the market for recycled materials and waste reduction.

Radioactive Waste: Public Participation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what decision-making procedures he plans to put in place where differences of opinion arise regarding the hosting of a radioactive waste repository between a host community, wider local interests and decision making bodies; who will manage those procedures; and what legislation would regulate and establish such processes.

Phil Woolas: We are currently consulting on the proposals for implementing geological disposal of the UK's higher activity radioactive waste in the consultation document "Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: a Framework for Implementing Geological Disposal".
	The consultation is clear that to be credible, any community that expresses an interest in hosting a geological disposal facility must demonstrate a broad level of support. This can involve support from the host community, wider local interests and decision making bodies.
	The consultation proposes that a host community works in partnership with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, and with other parties such as decision making bodies, wider local interests and other relevant interested bodies. Proposals are not prescriptive and suggest it will be up to the local communities to decide on the constitution of a partnership.
	The consultation document invites comments on the proposed approach.

Recycling: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) statutory and  (b) non-statutory central Government targets exist for local authorities to increase recycling and composting rates; what the dates are for those targets to be met; and on what dates the targets were introduced.

Joan Ruddock: Bi-annual statutory performance standards for recycling and composting were set for all local authorities in England for 2003-04, 2005-06 (as part of Waste Strategy 2000) and 2007-08 (announced in late 2006). Performance against these targets is measured by adding together recycling and composting rates under Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) 82a (household waste the local authority sends for recycling) and 82b (waste sent by the authority to composting or anaerobic digestion). All BVPIs are monitored annually by the Audit Commission.
	There are a number of BVPIs which relate to waste. Each year, Communities and Local Government (CLG) works with other Government Departments to set indicators for the next financial year. All authorities have a statutory duty to secure continuous improvement against these indicators.
	Many of the BVPI's have been in effect since the start of Best Value in April 2000. However, some new indicators have been set, and some existing indicators have been revised either to improve their definition or to be more keenly aligned with Government policy.
	The new set of national indicators for local authorities and local authority partnerships was announced on 9 October. These will apply from 2008-09 and will be measured on an annual basis. The 198 indicators are the means of measuring national priorities agreed by the Government and will allow us to performance-manage outcomes delivered by local government, working alone or in partnerships
	There are three annual waste indicators:
	household waste not reused, recycled or composted (kilograms per head residual waste)
	household waste recycled and composted (per cent.)
	municipal waste landfilled (per cent.)
	CLG will be consulting shortly (November 2007) on technical definitions for all these indicators.
	The Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme (LATS), which was launched in April 2005, also places limits on the amount of biodegradable municipal waste that local authorities can landfill. Local authorities that exceed their limits are liable to a penalty of £150 per tonne.
	In addition, the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 requires all waste collection authorities (subject to certain exemptions) to provide a separate kerbside collection service for at least two recyclable materials by 2010.

Renewable Energy: Standards

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received from  (a) industry and  (b) other Government Departments on the EU target to achieve 20 per cent. of energy needs from renewable sources by 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Secretary of State regularly meets representatives from industry and colleagues in other Government Departments to discuss the most effective ways to reduce carbon emissions, including issues relating to renewable energy.

Renewable Energy: Standards

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with other EU member states on means of achieving the agreed EU renewable energy targets.

Phil Woolas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Rural Areas: Community Councils

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to announce funding support for rural community councils for 2008-09.

Jonathan R Shaw: A project to assess the case for further investment by DEFRA in the Rural Community Council network, and the means by which it might be delivered, is currently in progress. Decisions will be taken as soon as possible, in the context of DEFRA's current business planning round.

Vaccines: Pirbright Laboratory

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to permit Merial to recommence research into bluetongue vaccines at Pirbright.

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects Merial to start manufacturing the BTV-8 vaccine at Pirbright; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the manufacture of foot and mouth virus to recommence at Pirbright; and what conditions will be placed on that manufacture.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 29 October 2007
	We have not prevented Merial from conducting research into a bluetongue vaccine as its Pirbright site is primarily a production, rather than research, facility. Merial conducts the majority of its research elsewhere.
	The Merial facility at Pirbright has been unable to carry out work with live virus since 4 August when it became evident that Pirbright was a potential source of the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD). Merial voluntarily agreed to suspend the use of live virus at that facility because of the large volumes involved in vaccine production. This arrangement was subsequently formalised through an amendment to their licence under the Specified Animal Pathogens Order (SAPO) 1998.
	The suspension has meant that Merial has temporarily been unable to produce vaccine at Pirbright, although we have recently permitted it to use small quantities of viruses for quality control and vaccine tests following further SAPO inspections.
	Detailed inspections are urgently being completed at the site and, provided these are fully satisfactory, and that the new heat treatment system is operating satisfactorily, we hope to be able to permit the use of large amounts of live virus within the next few weeks. This would enable Merial to re-commence vaccine production, but only under strict controls.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Adult Education: Basic Skills

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1462-63W, on adult education: basic skills, what criteria were used to determine whether a learner was someone who could contribute towards the Skills for Life target in the figures provided.

Bill Rammell: Skills for Life has been a successful strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills since its launch in 2001. Over 4.7 million people have participated in learning programmes and have taken up over 10.5 million learning opportunities.
	The figures provided in the answer of 18 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1462-63W, show the number of people who could have contributed towards the Skills for Life target between 2001 and July 2006. Learners who could have counted towards the target were those who were aged 16 and over, were eligible for support from LSC in their learning and who were enrolled on programmes leading to an approved Skills for Life qualification. Skills for Life qualifications include English and Maths GCSEs, key skills in communications and application of number and approved adult basic skills qualifications at levels 1 and 2 and entry level 3.

Adult Education: Basic Skills

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1462-3W, on adult education: basic skills, how many adults aged 25 and over and funded through further education or University for Life were enrolled on programmes which had a weighting for Skills for Life in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06; how many learners enrolled through employment and training providers or Train to Gain are on programmes that receive such a weighting; and whether these learners are additional to the number of learners given in the answer.

Bill Rammell: Figures for adults funded by the Learning and Skills Council under the Skills for Life programme can be derived from the individualised learner record. The number of learners aged 25 and over and enrolled on programmes in either FE or with University for Industry for each of the three years is as follows:
	
		
			   Adults aged 25+ ( T housand) 
			 2003/04 148.5 
			 2004/05 185.1 
			 2005/06 223.2 
		
	
	All of these learners were working towards Skills for Life learning aims and their achievements had the potential to contribute to the Skills for Life public service agreement target. However, Skills for Life involves a number of funding streams, some of which provide an additional weighting for those programmes deemed most accessible to the most disadvantaged learners, but not all. It is not possible to determine from LSC ILR data how many of these learners are workplace learners.
	Train to Gain was rolled out gradually from April 2006. Therefore, there are no data available for the years specified for Skills for Life achievements within Train to Gain. However, 28,660 took up Skills for Life learning opportunities through the employer training pilots that pre-dated Train to Gain from September 2002 until August 2005. No further data are available beyond this date at present. No Skills for Life weighting applies to Skills for Life learning within either ETPs or Train to Gain, but all achievements have the potential to count towards the target.

Cambridge-MIT Institute

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  if he will make available annual reports of the Cambridge-MIT Institute for each year since its inception in 2000;
	(2)  how the Cambridge-MIT Institute has performed against each of its performance targets set by Government for each year since its inception in 2000.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 10 September 2007
	The annual returns to Companies house for the Cambridge-MIT Institute Limited are already in the public domain. The Cambridge-MIT Institute has published an annual review for the year 2004-05. The final report on the Cambridge-MIT Institute will be published shortly. There are no annual performance targets set by Government for the Cambridge-MIT Institute.

Departmental Responsibilities

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on what date the transfer of functions order detailing the changes in his Department was laid before Parliament for approval.

Bill Rammell: No transfer of functions order has yet been made relating to the machinery of Government changes affecting this Department in June 2007.

Departments: Correspondence

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what guidance his Department follows on the maximum time taken to respond to hon. Members' correspondence; and what performance against that target was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The DIUS complies with Cabinet Office guidelines for the maximum time for responding to correspondence.
	The DIUS will publish statistics as part of the Cabinet Office's annual report on Departments' and agencies performance on handling Members and peers correspondence. This includes the target set by each Department to reply to hon. Members, the number of letters received and the percentage of replies within target.

Departments: Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills on how many occasions he has visited each region in an official capacity since appointment.

John Denham: Since the creation of the Department in June 2007, I have visited the following regions in an official capacity: east midlands once; the north-east once; the north-west once; the south once; the south- west once; London five times and Yorkshire and Humber three times.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.

Departments: Public Bodies

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will list his Department's and its predecessors'  (a) executive agencies,  (b) executive non-departmental public bodies,  (c) advisory NDPBs,  (d) tribunal NDPBs,  (e) trading funds and  (f) public corporations in each financial year since 2005-06.

Bill Rammell: The Department's bodies are listed as follows:
	
		
			Department 's  bodies 
			  (a) Executive Agencies National Weights and Measures Laboratory 
			   Intellectual Property Office (formerly Patent Office) 
			
			  (b) Executive NDPBs British Hallmarking Council (part of NWML) 
			   Design Council 
			   Technology Strategy Board 
			   National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts 
			
			Research Councils: 
			   Arts and Humanities Research Council 
			   Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council 
			   Economic and Social Research Council 
			   Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council 
			   Medical Research Council 
			   Natural Environment Research Council 
			   Science and Technology Facilities Council formed by the merger between Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils and Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council on 1 April 2007 
			
			   Construction Industry Training Board 
			   Engineering Construction Industry Training Board 
			   Higher Education Funding Council for England 
			   Investors in People UK 
			   Learning and Skills Council 
			   Office for Fair Access 
			   Quality Improvement Agency for Lifelong Learning 
			   Sector Skills Development Agency 
			   Student Loans Company Ltd 
			   UK Commission for Employment and Skills 
			
			  (c) Advisory NDPBs Council for Science and Technology 
			   Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property 
			
			  (d) Tribunal NDPs Copyright Tribunal (part of Patent Office) 
			   Insolvency Practitioners Tribunal 
		
	
	My Department has no  (e) trading funds or  (f) public corporations.
	The public bodies for which the predecessor Departments were responsible in 2005-06 onwards are listed in public bodies at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/agencies/public_bodies/index.asp
	and on departmental websites. The former Department for Education and Skills annual report lists public bodies at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/pdfs/deptreport2007.pdf

Departments: Recruitment

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will bring forward proposals to allow contractors employed by his Department to apply for internal job vacancies advertised within his Department; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Department has no plans to allow contractors to apply for internal job vacancies advertised. Permanent members of staff only are eligible to apply for internal job vacancies. Contractors are not employees of the Department. If we are unable to fill a post internally, we may advertise the vacancy externally. In this instance, the principles of the civil service commissioners recruitment code would be applied. The code is mandatory and must be followed when any post if opened up to competition from outside the civil service. The fundamental principle is that appointments must be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition.
	The Department has received no representations on this issue.

Departments: Recruitment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people have been appointed to his Department outside civil service grades in the last 30 days.

David Lammy: The information requested is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	My Department does publish information annually on appointments to the public bodies for which it is responsible. Data for 2006-07 were published in the DfES annual report at:
	www.dfes.gov.uk/aboutus/reports

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

David Lammy: The Department has no set retirement age for the majority of staff. A retirement age of 65 has been adopted by central Government for the senior civil service but members of the SCS can request to work beyond that age.
	The Department has not received any requests from SCS members to work beyond 65 years of age.

Departments: Tribunals

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was spent by his Department on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: In the 2006-07 financial year my Department spent £46,691 on legal fees in defending employment tribunal cases.

Education: Elderly

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of older people in formal learning or educational programmes.

David Lammy: We recognise the invaluable contribution that older people can and do make to the economic and social wellbeing of this country. We are committed to ensuring that learning serves the needs of the whole community, including older people both within and outside the work force. Our strategy for world class skills and our reforms of wider adult learning are designed to ensure that everyone, whatever their age or background, has the opportunity to improve their skills, prospects and quality of life.
	Older people will continue to benefit from a wide range of publicly-funded learning opportunities. Many will be able to take advantage of access to literacy and numeracy courses free of charge, as well as free tuition to a first full level 2 qualification. Older people in the work force will benefit from our work with employers to upskill or reskill in line with the changing needs of the economy. Older people will also benefit from our commitment to safeguard the funding of learning for personal and community development at £210 million through to 2010-11.
	Our wider policies aim to encourage older people, especially the disadvantaged and those in hard-to-reach groups, to take up learning through a variety of other learning opportunities, including: unlocking the potential of libraries, museums and galleries as places of learning for older people in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport; helping them to access information and communications technology through UK Online; working with the Home Office and other partners to encourage older people to use their skills and learn new skills as peer mentors and volunteers; and improving guidance and publicity materials for older people from minority ethnic groups.

Higher Education: Applications

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many applications for undergraduate university courses were made by students from each London constituency in each year since 2005-06.

Bill Rammell: The information is not held by my Department. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service collects information on applicants to full-time undergraduate courses at UK higher education institutions but they do not produce figures on the number of applicants by parliamentary constituency.
	The latest figures which were published by UCAS on 17 October showed that, compared to 2006, applicants from England who had been accepted for entry in 2007 had risen by 6.4 per cent. to 306,000, the highest ever.

Laboratories: Security

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much was spent on the security of  (a) public and  (b) private institutions studying pathogens that act on (i) humans and (ii) animals in each of the last five years in 2006 prices.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not collected centrally by Government. The Government do not provide specific funding to research establishments in order that they comply with proscribed biological security standards. If an organisation cannot meet the standard, licenses are either not supplied or are revoked. Legislation covering the security of pathogens and toxins is captured within the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

Learndirect

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 
	(1)  how many new learners enrolled in learndirect centres in each of the last three years; and how many centres are enrolling new learners;
	(2)  how many qualifications were obtained by learndirect learners in each of the last three years, broken down by level of qualification; and how many of them were  (a) IT qualifications and  (b) in other areas of content.

David Lammy: The number of learners, new in-year to Ufi, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the past three years is 524,000 in 2004-05; 367,000 in 2005-06; and 249,000 in 2006-07. Over the same period, the number of learndirect centres enrolling new learners has been 1,587 in 2004-05 and 1,152 in 1,036 in 2006-07.
	The reductions in Ufi's learner numbers are part of our strategy to offer longer courses related to our national targets. We now focus funding on the courses where it can make the most difference rather than shorter courses which provide less benefit. Ufi has moved towards a significantly greater number of learners on priority courses. The number of learners gaining their first Skills for Life test passes has doubled over the past three years and those learners gaining their first NVQ qualification has risen from zero to over 3,500 in the same period.
	The number of qualifications obtained by learndirect learners is shown in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Qualification  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07 
			 1(st) Skills for Life test
			 Level 1 18,837 38,057 33,588 
			 Level 2 10,707 19,007 24,617 
			 Total Skills for Life 29,544 57,064 58,205 
			 
			 1(st) NVQ Qualification
			 IT Qualification 0 0 1,001 
			 Non-IT Qualification 0 0 2,573 
			 Total 1(st) NVQ Qualification 0 0 3,574 
			 
			 Total IT Qualifications 0 0 1,001 
			 Total Non-IT Qualifications: 29,544 57,064 60,778 
			 Total Qualifications 29,544 57,064 61,779 
			 
			 Total Level 1 Qualifications 18,837 38,057 33,588 
			 Total Level 2 Qualifications 10,707 19,007 28,191

Pirbright Laboratory: Repairs and Maintenance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the reasons were for the time taken to provide funds for repair work to the drainage system at the Pirbright laboratory facility; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for East Surrey (Mr. Ainsworth) on 1 October 2007,  Official Report, column 2346W.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people have completed repayment of student loans in each year since their introduction.

Bill Rammell: The available data are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of borrowers with student loans repaid in full—financial year in which loan fully repaid 
			  Financial year  Borrowers with loans fully repaid ( Th ousand)( 1) 
			 2000-01(2) 45.0 
			 2001-02(2) 56.0 
			 2002-03(2) 67.9 
			 2003-04(2) 77.9 
			 2004-05(2) 83.6 
			 2005-06(3) 81.6 
			 2006-07(3,4) 72.3 
			 (1) Borrowers who have paid at least one loan account in full in the financial year. This includes accounts with small balance write-offs of £5 or less and accounts closed under the Repayment of Teacher Loans scheme. (2) Data up to 2004-05 are on a UK basis, separate England figures were not available for those years. (3) Data from 2005-06 cover English domiciled borrowers. (4) 2006-07 data are provisional.  Note: Consistent data are not available before 2000-01.

Training: Doctors

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the average  (a) training and  (b) student support costs were to train (i) a doctor on a conventional undergraduate training scheme over six years and (ii) a doctor on a fast-track postgraduate training scheme over four years in the latest period for which figures are available; and from which budgets the funding was drawn.

Bill Rammell: In the period between entry to medical school and full registration, it is estimated that training a doctor costs between £225,000 and £275,000. Doctors generally continue training after full registration. As the duration and nature of post-registration training varies greatly and as service and training costs are closely related, it is not possible to provide a meaningful estimate of the total cost of training.

UfI: Finance

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the  (a) budgetary allocations and  (b) outturn was for University for Industry (including learndirect) in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07.

David Lammy: Figures or the planned expenditure and outturn figures for Ufi (including learndirect) for 2004-05 onwards are:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Planned expenditure  Outturn 
			 2004-05 n/a 182 
			 2005-06 201 201 
			 2006-07 176 171 
			 n/a = not available

Vocational Education

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking together with  (a) Jobcentre Plus and  (b) the Department of Work and Pensions to improve coordination of education and training programmes in the post-16 sector.

David Lammy: The Department and the Learning and Skills Council are working closely with the Department of Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus to implement the proposals outlined in the document entitled "World Class Skills: Implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England" and the Green Paper entitled "In Work, better off", both published in July this year.
	There is a joint commitment to provide services to help low skilled people and those disadvantaged in the labour market into sustainable employment and progression in work and in skills. We will give greater ownership and choice to individuals over their training through skills accounts backed up by a new universal adult careers service promoting personal advancement. Jobcentre Plus has a pivotal role in ensuring its customers can access skills training both before and during employment. The LSC is ensuring that its budget is progressively spent on more responsive and flexible training tailored to the needs of the individual and local job opportunities. The LSC and Jobcentre Plus have had joint plans in place since 2005 across England that are reviewed regularly.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Care Proceedings

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether any damages have been paid by local authorities to parents in care proceedings because of poor service delivery in the last 12 months.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is not held centrally.

Child Minding: Qualifications

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of early years staff qualified to level 3 are registered childminders;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of registered childminders  (a) had no qualifications,  (b) were qualified to level 1 or 2,  (c) were qualified to level 3 and  (d) were qualified to level 4 or above in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: Information is not available in the requested format.
	Ofsted does not hold details about the qualifications held by registered child minders. Under the "National standards for under 8s day care and childminding", child care qualifications are not a requirement for persons wishing to apply to act as a child minder. All applicants must complete a registration course approved by the local authority within six months of registration. Ofsted monitors child minders to make sure they have attended such a course.
	Ofsted have produced figures on the numbers of registered child care providers and places on a quarterly basis from March 2003. Their latest figures were published in their report "Registered Childcare Providers and Places, June 2007", which is available on their website,
	www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications.
	The Department is committed to ensuring a greater proportion of the work force is qualified to levels 2 and 3 and to encourage continued professional development at all levels. Over the period 2006-08, the Department is funding early years workforce development through the transformation fund. Local authorities can use the fund to boost training at levels 3, 4 and 5 for the work force, including registered child minders, working in the PVI sector.
	Local authorities have also been allocated significant funding from the comprehensive spending review (CSR) period to support work force development across the sector, with a clear focus on achieving level 3 qualifications.

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service: Vacancies

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many posts have been vacant in the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service for more than three months;
	(2)  what the average number of reports prepared by each caseworker in  (a) public and  (b) private law was in CAFCASS in each of the last five years;
	(3)  whether there has been an effect on the timing of preparation of child protection cases arising from staff  (a) turnover and  (b) shortages in CAFCASS in the 2006-07 financial year.

Kevin Brennan: These are matters for CAFCASS. Anthony Douglas, the chief executive, will write to my hon. Friend with this information and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Library.

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on the grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998.

Kevin Brennan: The Department does not collect central records of cases brought against it in which grounds contained in the Human Rights Act 1998 have been relied and so the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Correspondence

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department follows on the maximum time taken to respond to hon. Members' correspondence; and what performance against that target was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office publishes guidance for Departments on "Handling Correspondence from Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Lords. MEPs, and Members of Devolved Assemblies". Copies are available in the Libraries of the House and it is also available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetQffice.gov.uk/upload/assets/www.cabinet office.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/correspondence.pdf
	The Cabinet Office also publishes on an annual basis, a report on Departments' and agencies' performance on handling Members' and Peers' correspondence. This includes the target set by each Department to reply to hon. Members, the number of letters received and the percentage of replies within target. The last report for 2006 was published by the then Minister for the Cabinet Office (Hilary Armstrong) on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 101-04WS.

Departments: Departmental Reorganisation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what date the transfer of functions order detailing the changes in his Department was laid before Parliament for approval.

Kevin Brennan: No transfer of functions order has yet been made relating to the machinery of Government changes affecting this Department in June 2007.

Departments: General Elections

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what contingency preparations his Department made for the possibility of a general election in autumn 2007; and what the costs were of those preparations.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 823W.

Departments: ICT

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1296-7W, on Departments: ICT, what estimate he has made of the cost of extracting the requested data; and what assessment he has made of the merits of extracting the data.

Kevin Brennan: The cost of extracting the requested data was estimated to exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of 700. No assessment was made of the benefits of extracting the data.

Departments: Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people were employed by his Department and its predecessor on 1 January in each of the last five years; and how many of these staff were  (a) permanent employees,  (b) temporary staff and  (c) contractors.

Kevin Brennan: The number of people employed by the Department over the last five years are:
	
		
			   (a) Permanent staff  (b) Temporary staff 
			 2007 4,040 10 
			 2006 4,250 20 
			 2005 4,750 60 
			 2004 5,360 90 
			 2003 5,220 120 
		
	
	Information on contractors, in the format requested, can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Manpower

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what percentage of employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department are above state retirement age.

Kevin Brennan: The Department currently employs a total of 40 staff—1.4 per cent.—above state retirement age. The Department is not responsible for any executive agency.
	Non-departmental public bodies are responsible for data regarding their employees and the information requested is not held centrally by the Department.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the name is of each special adviser in his Department.

Kevin Brennan: The annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.

Departments: Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what policy changes his Department has implemented since 27 June 2007.

Kevin Brennan: The Department has implemented a number of new and changed policies since 27 June 2007. Ministers have kept Parliament fully informed of these changes. For example, the following have been announced:
	a nationwide consultation with teachers, children's professionals, universities, colleges and the voluntary sector, parents, and children and young people themselves to draw up a children's plan for our country;
	details of the first five new diplomas and plans for additional Diplomas in Science, Languages and the humanities to increase the options for 14 to 19-year-olds;
	a new National Council for Educational Excellence to drive forward the Government's long term aspirations for children and young people's education;
	a review of the teaching of maths to be led by Sir Peter Williams, chancellor of Leicester university and chair of the advisory committee on maths education;
	a major consultation on children and young people's safety where we are seeking views from parents, children and young people, our partners and the children's workforce;
	more rigorous inspection of pupil behaviour with Ofsted to issue strong new guidance to inspectors which will be clear that behaviour by pupils that has a negative impact on learning is unacceptable;
	21.9 billion of capital investment allocations to local authorities to raise standards with state-of-the-art classroom, arts, sports and ICT facilities over the next three years;
	£150 million assessment for learning training over the next three years to help teachers better track their pupils' progress and personalise their learning to stretch gifted children and help underachieving children catch-up;
	a £265 million extended schools subsidy over the next three years to ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds benefit from extra out-of-hours tuition and after-school clubs in sport, music and drama.

Departments: Press

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when his  (a) Ministers,  (b) officials and  (c) special advisers briefed journalists at the  Financial Times on his statement on 10 July 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department made copies of my parliamentary statement available and briefed media, including the  Financial Times, after I delivered my statement to the House.

Departments: Secondment

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many staff are seconded to his Department from outside Government; from which outside body each has been seconded; and what the length is of each secondment.

Kevin Brennan: A total of 81 staff are seconded to my Department from a range of organisations listed as follows. The secondments are normally for a period of up to two years.
	
		
			  Organisation  Number of secondees 
			 London Borough of Ealing 1 
			 NHS Business Services Authority 1 
			 Northamptonshire County Council 2 
			 Commission for Social Care Inspection 5 
			 Cheshire County Council 1 
			 Leicestershire County Council 1 
			 London Borough Hammersmith and Fulham 1 
			 City of Sunderland Children's Services 1 
			 Westminster City Council 1 
			 East Sussex County Council 1 
			 Wokingham District Council 1 
			 CSWP, Connexions Coventry and Warwickshire 1 
			 Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council 1 
			 Centre for British Teachers 1 
			 Bath and North East Somerset Council 1 
			 Southend on Sea County Council 1 
			 Haringey Council 1 
			 Buckinghamshire CC 1 
			 Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council 1 
			 Lancashire County Council 3 
			 Lincolnshire South West PCT 1 
			 Wiltshire County Council 1 
			 London Borough of Enfield 1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council 1 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Trust 1 
			 Education Leeds 2 
			 East of England Health Authority 1 
			 South West Peninsula Strategic Health Authority 1 
			 Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Trust 1 
			 Devon County Council 1 
			 Sefton MBC 1 
			 Cornwall CC 1 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority 1 
			 North Yorkshire County Council 1 
			 Hertfordshire County Council 2 
			 Cambridgeshire County Council 1 
			 Kingston Upon Hull City Council 1 
			 Swindon Borough Council 1 
			 BBC 1 
			 Edexcel 1 
			 Leeds Metropolitan University 1 
			 Nottinghamshire County Council 2 
			 Service Birmingham 1 
			 Essex County Council 1 
			 Farming and Countryside Education(FACE) 1 
			 Highcliffe School 1 
			 Garforth Community College 1 
			 Fullbrook School 1 
			 Diocese of Bath and Wells 1 
			 Oxfordshire County Council 1 
			 University of Wolverhampton 1 
			 Norfolk County Council 1 
			 Dorset County Council 2 
			 CFBT 1 
			 Manchester City Council 1 
			 Wootton Bassett School 1 
			 Buckinghamshire LEA 1 
			 Slough Borough Council 1 
			 Crown Hills Community College 1 
			 Building Research Establishment 1 
			 Rotherham LEA 1 
			 Greig City Academy 1 
			 Doncaster MBC 1 
			 Worcestershire County Council 1 
			 The King John School 1 
			 St. Mary's Catholic High School 1 
			 Fred Longworth High School 1 
			 Business in the Community 1 
			 Haybridge High School and Sixth Form 1 
			 British High Commission NZ 1

Educational Visits

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many school trips were made by  (a) primary schools and  (b) secondary schools in each (i) Government region and (ii) local education authority in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many school trips abroad were made by schools in each  (a) Government region and  (b) local education authority in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  what the average cost of insurance for school trips was in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: Information is not collected centrally on school trips made by primary and secondary schools either in the UK or abroad. Information on insurance costs is also not held centrally.

Headteachers: Stockport

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of headteachers in Stockport metropolitan borough are within  (a) one year,  (b) two years,  (c) three years,  (d) five years and  (e) 10 years of standard pension age.

Jim Knight: The normal pension age (NPA) of teachers who entered service before 1 January 2007 is 60. Entrants to the profession from that date have a NPA of 65. NPA is the age at which members of the teachers' pension scheme can retire without any actuarial reduction to their pension benefits.
	The following table provides the percentage of full-time head teachers in service in the maintained schools sector in England within 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years of the NPA 60, in March 2006, the latest information available.
	
		
			  Teacher numbers and percentage( 1)  of full-time head teachers in service in maintained sector schools( 2)  in Stockport( 3)  and England, by number of years before the normal pension age (age 60), March 2006 
			  Number/percentage 
			   Stockport( 3)  England 
			  Number   
			 Teachers 130 22,510 
			
			  Percentage   
			 Less than   
			 1 4 3 
			 2 10 7 
			 3 14 12 
			 5 28 25 
			 10 56 58 
			 (1) Percentages are cumulative. (2) Excludes academies. (3) Local authority information is not normally reported from the database of teacher records due to data quality concerns but data for Stockport is sufficiently complete.  Notes: 1. Reforms of the teachers' pension scheme that were introduced in January 2007 and which include a NPA of 65 for new entrants included new provisions that are specifically aimed at encouraging teachers to extend their working lives. These new provisions will provide a real and attractive alternative to teachers' traditional approach to retirement. 2. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Database of teacher records (age proportions) and 618g (overall teacher numbers)

Pupil Exclusions

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to following his predecessor's Department's research on school exclusions  (a) to give schools clear targets to lower levels of exclusions,  (b) to increase and expand mentoring schemes,  (c) to help with the transition from primary to secondary school,  (d) to provide support for teachers when dealing with difficult pupils and  (e) to encourage early intervention with difficult pupils.

Kevin Brennan: We back a head teacher's decision to exclude a pupil from school where their bad behaviour warrants it. We will not give schools targets for reducing exclusions. Rather, our aim is to ensure that misbehaviour is tackled early so as to reduce the need for exclusion. We have taken steps to help schools improve the management of behaviour in the classroom.
	We are also carrying out a wide ranging programme of work to reduce disproportionate exclusions among black Caribbean and mixed white/black Caribbean pupils following the recommendations in last December's report "Getting it. Getting it Right".
	Behaviour management is a central part of teacher training. Current standards for qualified teacher status require teachers to know a range of strategies for promoting good behaviour, setting high expectations for pupils' behaviour and establishing a clear framework for classroom discipline. Our social and emotional aspects of learning curriculum programme tackles the causes of bad behaviour and bullying by helping children develop self-control and good relationships.
	In line with the new Department's wider responsibilities, we are increasingly emphasising the need for early intervention with young people across a range of issues. From September 2007 secondary schools have been working in partnership to improve behaviour and tackle persistent absence with a strong emphasis on early intervention, and managing the transition from primary to secondary school, to reduce the need for exclusion.

Pupils: Intimidation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1092-94W on pupils: intimidation, if he will list all other prompts the national strategies use to assess whether a school needs additional support with its anti-bullying work; and what percentage of  (a) primary schools and  (b) secondary schools are tackling bullying effectively, according to each prompt.

Kevin Brennan: Further to the answer given to question 147174 on 4 July, the other prompts which the national strategies used during 2006-07 to assess whether a school needed additional support with its anti-bullying work were:  (a) strategies to improve attendance;  (b) the effectiveness of leadership and management; and  (c) schools' effective use of the range of local authority (LA) support services to reduce low level disruption. Any of those prompts may have triggered a discussion between the LA behaviour and attendance consultant, national strategies regional adviser and/or the school about bullying and appropriate follow-up taken. But only the specific anti-bullying prompt referred to in the answer given on 4 July triggered the return of data to the Department relating to bullying.
	However, two additional prompts specifically relating to bullying were introduced from autumn 2007. These were:
	 School impact prompt: Leadership and management of schools and settings
	Schools are able to demonstrate a rigorous process that has resulted in the development of an anti-bullying policy that includes all types of bullying, and informs effective practice based on the DCSF anti-bullying guidance and the principles of the DCSF "Bullying—A Charter for Action". This is supported by evidence from Ofsted reports, pupil surveys, school self evaluation and other evidence that reports schools have a positive climate for learning where all pupils feel safe and secure.
	 LA impact prompt: Strategic leadership and management of LAs
	The LA supports and challenges schools effectively to ensure a reduction in incidents of bullying. This includes:
	opportunities to share effective practice;
	guidance for policy development, recording and monitoring;
	support to all schools in following the good practice advice in the DCSF anti-bullying guidance and the principles of the DCSF "Bullying—A Charter for Action" as a basis for their anti-bullying policies and practice.
	Data will be available on both of the above prompts from November 2007.

Teachers: Training

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the  (a) target and  (b) outturn numbers of recruits to initial teacher training in each secondary school subject were in each year since 2001-02; what the target is for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: Data on targets set for recruitment to initial teacher training in each secondary subject for each academic year between 2001-02 and 2007-08 were published in January 2007 in the school workforce in England (including pupil: teacher ratios and pupil: adult ratios), January 2006 (revised) volume. These figures are available from the following link:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000681/index.shtml
	The table of interest is table A3 within '(Additional tables giving information on initial teacher training. (added January 2007))'
	Recruitment figures to ITT courses in each secondary school subject each academic year between 2001/02 and 2006/07 can also be found in this volume. The table of interest is table A1 within '(Additional tables giving information on initial teacher training. (added January 2007))'

JUSTICE

Bullwood Hall Prison: Foreigners

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  on what date the decision was taken to use HMP Bullwood Hall and HMP Canterbury primarily for detention of foreign national prisoners;
	(2)  on what date the decision was taken to use HMP Bullwood Hall and HMP Canterbury primarily for detention of foreign national prisoners.

David Hanson: The decision was taken in May 2006 (Canterbury) and June 2006 (Bullwood Hall). These prisons are used to hold foreign national prisoners who are being considered by the Borders and Immigration Agency for removal from the United Kingdom, in order to streamline caseworking procedures between BIA and the prison service.

Children: Protection

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he next expects to meet his counterparts in the Scottish Executive to discuss cross-border co-operation on the protection of children from sex offenders; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Consultation is currently taking place between officials in the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Executive. The revised multi-agency public protection arrangements guidance is scheduled for distribution to probation areas in England and Wales on 31 October 2007. This guidance includes material on how effectively to manage the transfer of cross-border cases. Further consultation at official level is planned, after which advice will be provided to Ministers on strengthening cross-border co-operation.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is;
	(2)  whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998.

Michael Wills: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Human Rights Act 1998 allows the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights to be argued in any case before any court or tribunal.

Departments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Ministerial Red Boxes

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 19 July 2007,  Official Report, column 570W, on Departments: ministerial red boxes, on what basis he decided that the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Pay

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what criteria were used for determining pay hotspots for his Department's employees.

Bridget Prentice: A new pay system has recently been introduced for employees in the former Department for Constitutional Affairs now employed in the Ministry of Justice, with five regional pay ranges. Courts and offices were allocated to the Hotspots pay ranges following economic research and analysis of earnings and salary survey data, analysis of internal departmental data on key retention indicators such as turnover rates, as well as consultation with local senior managers. This was the case with all of the pay ranges introduced as part of the new pay arrangements. There will be an annual review of the operation of the pay system, including the criteria used to allocate offices to pay ranges.

Departments: Policy

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what policy changes his Department has implemented since 27 June 2007.

Maria Eagle: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets; what the total value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice was created on 9 May 2007 through the merging of the Department for Constitutional Affairs and part of the Home Office (the National Offender Management Service and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform). As a result of the machinery of government change, there are no formal historic budgets for resource DEL, administration and capital DEL against which to compare outturn.
	Details for the Ex-DCA and ex-HO Departments can be found in the relevant HM Treasury provisional expenditure outturn publications:
	PEOWP 2001-02 (Cm 5574)
	PEOWP 2002-03 (Cm 5884)
	PEOWP 2003-04 (Cm 6293)
	PEOWP 2004-05 (Cm 6639)
	PEOWP 2005-06 (Cm 6883)
	PEOWP 2006-07 (Cm 7156)
	These are available in the Libraries of the House.
	PEOWP reports provisional outturn figures for the year against the final HM Treasury control totals on the basis of the budgeting regime that applied in-year. Spending is reported for Departments as they were constituted at the end of the relevant year.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Maria Eagle: The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following supplementary estimates—rather than against plans at the start of the year—as plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as machinery of government and classification changes. The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the "Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper". Changes to plans arising in-year are published in "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses", as are differences between provisional and final outturns.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under consolidated budgeting guidance, following comprehensive spending review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Maria Eagle: Following the creation of the Ministry of Justice, the initial 2007-08 administration baseline was £720 million. In keeping with the sentiment expressed in the Treasury budgeting guidance that all items directly associated with direct frontline delivery of a service are classified as programme costs, analysis was conducted and resulted in a reclassification of £261 million of costs.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Previous administration budget  HMT agreed reclassification  Revised CSR administration budget 
			 Ministry of Justice Group(1) total 720 261 459 
			 (1) The Ministry of Justice Group includes Northern Ireland Court Service, The National Archives, Scotland Office, Wales Office and the Electoral Commission. 
		
	
	The business areas affected by reclassification of expenditure from administration to programme costs were e-Delivery group, HMCS, Tribunals Service, Public Guardianship Office and Official Solicitor and Public Trustee.
	Details of all classification changes in resource and capital budgets made since publication of the consolidated budgeting guidance 2007 will be published after Budget 2008 in chapter 3 of "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2008".

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice has delegated employment terms and conditions under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992, and as a consequence, does not have a retirement age policy. Applications to work past the state retirement age are dealt with at a local business level and considered on an individual basis. As a consequence, information on the number of applications and the number of successful applications for working beyond state retirement age is not held centrally and to collate this would incur disproportionate costs. However, the numbers of staff (headcount) "actually working" above state retirement age are available as at 30 September 2007 and have been compiled as follows:
	 (a) The total number of staff above state retirement age, employed by the Ministry of Justice (former Department for Constitutional Affairs) as at 30 September 2007, taken from the Ministry of Justices' internal human resource systems are as follows:
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice head quarters  Number of staff above 65 (state retirement age) 
			 Formerly Department for Constitutional Affairs HQ (excl. agencies) 7 
			 OCJR 2 
			 NOMS 3 
			 MOJ HQ Total 10 
		
	
	 (b) (i) The total number of staff above state retirement age, employed by the Ministry of Justice Agencies (former DCA and its agencies) as at 30 September 2007, taken from the Ministry of Justices' internal human resource systems are as follows:
	
		
			  Ministry of Justices' Agencies  Number of staff above 65 (state retirement age) 
			 HM Courts Service 296 
			 Public Guardianship Office 3 
			 Tribunals Service 20 
			 Scotland Office (excl. Office of Advocate General) 1 
			 Wales Office 2 
			 HMPS 127 
			 MOJ Agencies' Total 449 
		
	
	 (b) (ii) The information requested is not available for non-departmental public bodies as the data is not held centrally and to collate this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Deportation: Appeals

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners successfully appealed against deportation in each of the last five years; and how many have so appealed in 2007-08.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Deportation: Judicial Review

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many persons had their removal delayed by applications for judicial review in each of the last three years; and what proportion of cases before the Appeal Court they comprised.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Freedom of Information: Compensation

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information he holds on which Government Departments have a policy of making compensation payments to people making requests to them under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 when the deadlines for providing information set out in that Act are not complied with.

Michael Wills: There is no provision in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for compensation payments to be made and the Ministry of Justice has no knowledge or information about Government Departments having a policy to do so.

Information Commissioner: Complaints

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints were made by members of the public to the Information Commissioner in each year for which figures are available; and how many of those complaints resulted in the Information Commissioner issuing an enforcement notice.

Michael Wills: The following table shows how many complaints were made by members of the public to the Information Commissioner in each year and how many of those complaints resulted in the Information Commissioner issuing an enforcement notice.
	
		
			   Data Protection Act  Freedom of Information 
			   Complaints( 1)  Enforcements( 2)  Complaints  Enforcements 
			 2000-01 8,875 4 — — 
			 2001-02 12,479 4 — — 
			 2002-03 12,001 4 — — 
			 2003-04 9,994 1 — — 
			 2004-05 19,460 3 (3)0 0 
			 2005-06 22,059 5 2,713 0 
			 2006-07 23,988 6 2,592 (4)1 
			 Year to date 14,503 9 1,355 0 
			 (1) The Data Protection figures represent all complaints which include requests for the Commissioner to assess the way that information was processed and where advice and assistance is provided. Allegations of breaches of the Telecommunications Regulations (PECR) are not technically requests for assessment but are also included in these figures. (2) Enforcements under the Data Protection Act are not an automatic consequence of a complaint, and are relatively rare. Other options exercised by the Commissioner include preliminary enforcement notices and undertakings. A single enforcement notice can relate to hundreds of complaints. This is particularly the case with complaints under PECR. (3) Given the timescales for compliance and internal reviews, the ICO received its first FoI complaints at the end of the 2004-05 financial year. These were therefore included in the next annual figures. (4) An enforcement notice under the freedom of Information Act is a legal order the Information Commissioner can make to require a public authority to address its failure to comply with Part 1 of the Freedom of Information Act. In practice, this is most likely to be used where there is systemic or repeated non-compliance.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects to answer the letter to him dated 19 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. A. Daly.

David Hanson: I apologise for the delay. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor (Mr. Straw) will write to the right hon. Member shortly.

National Identity

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proposals for a national motto have been made to him.

Michael Wills: My Department has received a number of suggestions for a national motto and I welcome the interest this debate has generated, in the context of the wider debate about what it means to be British and part of British society. We will shortly be announcing a wide range of measures to take discussion forward on the content and format of a British statement of values and the purposes for which it should be used.

Parole: Foreigners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many foreign nationals were released from prison on end of custody licence between  (a) 29 June and 5 July,  (b) 6 July and 31 July,  (c) 1 August and 31 August and  (d) 1 September and 30 September 2007;
	(2)  how many foreign nationals were released from prison on end of custody licence  (a) between 29 June and 5 July,  (b) 6 July and 31 July,  (c) 1 August and 31 August and  (d) 1 September and 30 September 2007.

David Hanson: Foreign national prisoners who are liable to deportation at the end of their sentence are not eligible for release under the end of custody licence scheme. The following table shows the numbers of foreign national prisoners who did not meet the criteria for deportation and so were released as part of the ECL scheme since the end of June 2007:
	
		
			  FNPs released 
			  Period  FNP releases on ECL 
			 29 June—5 July 102 
			 6 July—31 July 129 
			 1 August—31 August 144 
			 1 September—30 September 127 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Pentonville Prison: Disciplinary Proceedings

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many disciplinary hearings have been heard at HM prison Pentonville for those staff who were suspended under corruption investigations; what the  (a) date and  (b) outcome was of each hearing; how many remain outstanding and for what reasons in each case; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what measures are in place to ensure that uniformed prison staff do not work excessive hours in carrying out bedwatch duties; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Pentonville Prison: Governing Bodies

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many years' experience the previous governing governor of HM prison Pentonville had as a governing governor before taking up the post as governing governor of the establishment; whether this was a managed move; who was responsible for authorising the move; which skills were defined as necessary to fill the role; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what training in professional standards the previous governing governor of HM prison Pentonville had before taking up post as head of professional standards issues at HM prison service; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  for what reason the previous governor of HM prison Pentonville was transferred to the professional standards unit; whether this was a managed move; who was responsible for authorising the move; what skills were defined by that person as necessary to fill the role; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Prior to his appointment as governor of Pentonville prison, Mr. Deighton held a previous appointment as governor of Exeter prison from 1 November 1999 until 29 December 2001. He transferred to Pentonville, as governor, following a period as a team leader with HM inspectorate of prisons. His appointment to Pentonville was managed, partly to facilitate his return to operational duties on completion of a three-year tour of duty with the inspectorate. He transferred as head of the professional standards unit earlier this year.
	In line with the published policy of HM prison service, all operational senior manager appointments require the approval of the relevant director and the deputy director general of the service as chair of the succession planning committee. This applies both to managed appointments and those filled through selection following an internal advertisement.
	It would be inappropriate to discuss the reasons for individual appointments as they frequently take into account personal circumstances or developmental issues as well as any particular individual skills that a person might bring to a post.
	There is no training course that would be suitable for an incoming head of PSU. As an operational senior manager Mr. Deighton would have acquired substantial knowledge of matters that have a bearing on the work of the unit. Mr. Deighton's developmental needs will be assessed by his line manager as part of the prison service's performance management arrangements, on an ongoing basis.

Personation

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of identity fraud being carried out as a result of information received via on-line applications for change of title administered by the Land Registry.

Michael Wills: Very few applications are currently made online to alter the Land Register for England and Wales. Online applications can only be lodged by accredited professional customers, for example solicitors, banks and other mortgage lenders, using Land Registry's secure online system. Effective audit trails are in place and users of the system must comply with tightly drawn terms and conditions. Land Registry has no evidence, as far as it is aware, that any fraud has been perpetrated by such online application.
	The vast majority of applications for alteration of the register, including applications that will give effect to change of ownership, are still lodged in paper form by professional customers who have obligations under Money Laundering Regulations and other professional obligations to check the identity of their clients. Land Registry is aware of frauds that have been perpetrated using applications in paper form. In 2006-07 it paid compensation on 24 claims arising from fraud. In the same year, it dealt with nearly 4 million applications to register transfers for value and mortgages.
	Land Registry has identified that perpetration of frauds affecting the register pose a strategic risk and is reviewing the security controls and access restrictions in place for its internal and external online systems. It is also reviewing procedures for dealing with applications lodged in paper form, to see what can be done to strengthen the protection they provide against fraud.
	The following safeguards are already in place;
	None of the applications that can currently be made online will result in a direct change of ownership of title.
	Non-professional conveyancers cannot lodge applications for the alteration of the register online.
	Solicitors, banks and mortgage lenders are obliged to check and confirm the identity of clients either by their professional codes of conduct or domestic security controls.
	Most applications lodged online are currently subject to Land Registry intervention, i.e. they require manual processing, allowing additional validation by Land Registry's staff.
	Very few applications are lodged direct with Land Registry by non-conveyancers.
	 Land Registry's assessment of fraud
	Land Registry is currently assessing what further security controls and access restrictions could be introduced to reduce the possibility of information being obtained by someone who may use it for a fraudulent purpose.
	Land Registry's board have approved an anti-fraud strategy and various initiatives are being undertaken to reduce the likelihood of a registration fraud being successful.
	Land Registry is looking at incidents of fraud or attempted fraud both against Land Registry and more generally and is working with the police to assess what additional safeguards may be needed to prevent wrongful registration where fraud has occurred.
	Land Registry has checks and processes in place, whether applications are lodged by professional customers or by non-conveyancers to help detect and prevent the registration of fraudulent applications and is working on strengthening those controls.
	Land Registry reviews its systems and processes regularly to identify, amongst other things, where system and process changes are necessary.
	Land Registry has taken action to raise staff awareness of ID fraud.

Prison Service: Corruption

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  on what date Michael Spurr was interviewed as part of the Tasker investigation; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2007,  Official Report, column 390W, on the Tasker inquiry, who the previous commissioning authority referred to in the answer was; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  on what date  (a) Keith Munns and  (b) Nick Pascoe received a copy of the partial report of the Tasker inquiry; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  on what date Keith Munns was interviewed as part of the Tasker inquiry; on what date he relinquished responsibility as commissioning authority for the inquiry; to whom he relinquished it; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  on what date Nick Pascoe took over the commissioning authority role for the Tasker inquiry; who the commissioning authority was immediately before that; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  who was responsible as commissioning authority for the Tasker inquiry after Keith Munns was interviewed as part of the investigation; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  whether the deputy director general of HM prison service had access to the partial report of the Tasker inquiry prior to  (a) agreeing to be interviewed and  (b) being interviewed as part of the investigation; and if he will make a statement;
	(8)  who acted as commissioning authority for the Tasker inquiry between the retirement of Keith Munns and the transfer to Nick Pascoe; and if he will make a statement;
	(9)  on what date Ron Tasker was informed that  (a) Keith Munns had ceased to be the commissioning authority for his investigation and  (b) Nick Pascoe had assumed responsibility; whether a draft of his interim report had been submitted to the commissioning authority previous to either of these dates; to whom the draft of the interim report was submitted and on what date; and if he will make a statement;
	(10)  what representations were received by  (a) Helen Edwards and  (b) Phil Wheatley on Keith Munns' role as commissioning authority for the Tasker inquiry (i) while area manager for London, (ii) at the point of his retirement and (iii) subsequent to his retirement; and if he will make a statement;
	(11)  whether the deputy director general of HM prison service had access to the interim report of the Tasker inquiry before being interviewed as part of the inquiry on 10 May 2007; and if he will make a statement;
	(12)  pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2057W, on the Prison Service: public appointments, to whom Keith Munns was reporting when he was supporting the completion of the Tasker inquiry report; whether he was supporting Nick Pascoe or Michael Spurr in the preparation of the interim report of the Tasker inquiry; whether Michael Spurr was acting as the commissioning authority at the time of the appointment of Keith Munns for that role; on what date that appointment took place; and if he will make a statement;
	(13)  pursuant to the answer of 2 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1684W, on the Tasker inquiry, what the change in the terms of reference for the Tasker investigation was; and if he will make a statement;
	(14)  on what date the deputy director general of HM prison service first asked Nick Pascoe to assume responsibility as commissioning authority for the Tasker inquiry; on what date he became commissioning authority; and if he will make a statement;
	(15)  whether the deputy director general of HM prison service has held responsibility as commissioning authority for the Tasker inquiry; and if he will make a statement;
	(16)  pursuant to the answers of 31 January 2007,  Official Report, column 201W, on the Tasker investigation, 6 March 2007,  Official Report, column1941W, on the Prison Service: disclosure of information and 23 April 2007,  Official Report, column 980W, on Wandsworth Prison, what the cause is of the delay in the completion of the report of the Tasker inquiry; what estimate he has made of the additional cost incurred as a consequence of these delays; when he expects the Tasker report to be  (a) completed and  (b) submitted; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Due to the number and detail of the linked questions it has not been possible to provide a full response. I will write to the hon. Member once I have considered fully.
	 Substantive answer from Maria Eagle to Henry Bellingham:
	Before the recess I wrote to you to say that I would write further in response to your questions numbered 150961-65,150974-78, 150981, 151041, 151050-51, 151053, and 151075.
	I should mention from the outset that the Tasker report has now been received and accepted by the area manager for London who will be writing to the relevant individuals in the near future.
	In your questions you raised various issues about the commissioning authorities. Although much of this information has been provided before I should make clear that there have only been two commissioning authorities, namely Keith Munns and Nick Pascoe (the former and current area managers for London). There was no gap between the two. Michael Spurr has never been commissioning authority and has still not seen any of the report.
	Nick Pascoe became commissioning authority, as you have again already been informed on an unspecified date after 1 February 2007 following a routine line management conversation with Michael Spurr, the DDG. Ron Tasker was informed of the change on 10 May.
	I should add that the commissioning authority function is primarily an administrative requirement under prison service orders and that his/her role is to set terms of reference, appoint an investigating officer, ensure adequate resources are allocated and take receipt of the investigation report on conclusion.
	The first chapter of the report was submitted to Keith Munns on 9 April and to Nick Pascoe on 16 April. Keith Munns was not involved in the completion of the report, but had been retained to provide support to the commissioning authority because of his knowledge of the issues involved.
	Various representations have been made to Helen Edwards and Phil Wheatley about Keith Munns' role as commissioning authority. It is the prison service's view that the role of Keith Munns was entirely appropriate and consistent with policy.
	Finally, the report, which as I have said has recently been accepted by Nick Pascoe, was delayed because of the complexity and breadth of the investigation, the number of witnesses requiring interviewing (the last interview taking place on the 14th August 2007), and the amount of correspondence and questions in relation to the investigation that have required responses. The costs of completing the investigation are still being calculated.

Prison Service: Industrial Disputes

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the net cost to his Department was of industrial action by prison officers on 29 August.

David Hanson: It is at the moment too early to be able to give the net cost of the industrial action by Prison Officers on 29 August as this information is still being collated from across the prison estate.
	I will write to the hon. and learned Gentleman as soon as the net cost of the action has been established.
	 Substantive answer from David Hanson to Edward Garnier:
	In September you tabled a question asking to know the net costs to the prison service of the industrial action by prison officers on 29 August 2007. At the time of my reply costs were unknown as they were still being collated across the prison service. I am now writing as promised to give you the information requested.
	Costs incurred to the prison service, and other parts of the National Offender Management Service at the time totalled £519,000. In addition to this £146,000 has been spent refurbishing cells damaged by prisoners at HMYOI Lancaster Farms during the industrial action by prison officers. The overall costs totalling £665,000 have been offset by salary reductions for the staff who took part in the industrial action totalling £734,666. The overall net position was therefore was a budget saving of £69,666.

Prison Service: Pay

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the starting salary for prison officers was in May 1997, in 2007-08 prices.

David Hanson: A prison officer's starting salary in May 1997 was £14,430. In April 2007, the prison officer starting salary reached £17,744, with progression to the pay maximum of £27,261 reached in six years instead of 15 years as in 1997. The current pay round is under way.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign nationals released from UK prisons were  (a) handed over to authorities in their country of origin,  (b) released into the custody of the immigration and borders service,  (c) deported and  (d) released and allowed to remain in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what crimes had been committed by the foreign prisoners  (a) handed over to authorities in their country of origin,  (b) released into the custody of the immigration and borders service,  (c) deported and  (d) released and allowed to remain in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential effect on levels of radicalisation in prisons of dedicating entire prisons to foreign national prisoners.

David Hanson: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign prisoners were held at HMP Peterborough in each month since 1 April 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign national prisoners were held in each category D prisons in England and Wales on the last day of each of the last 24 months for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Due to the volume of data involved, it is not possible to provide the information requested in short time scales, without incurring disproportionate cost.
	I will write to both hon. Gentlemen shortly with the information requested.

Prisoners: Suicide

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) British and  (b) foreign national prisoners committed (i) acts of self-harm and (ii) suicide in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) The number of United Kingdom nationals who:
	(i) were victims of a self-inflicted death(1) in prison is shown in table 1.
	(ii) self-harmed in prison custody is shown in table 2.
	 (b) Foreign national prisoners who:
	(i) were victims of a self-inflicted death(1) in prison is shown in table 1.
	(ii) self-harmed in prison custody is shown in table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1: self-inflicted deaths( 1)  in prison custody 
			 Nationality 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 
			 Foreign 1 4 7 4 5 9 8 7 6 6 
			 UK 66 78 84 76 68 85 84 88 72 61 
			 Total 67 82 91 80 73 94 92 95 78 67 
			 (1) The Prison Service definition of self-inflicted deaths is broader than the legal definition of suicide and includes all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. This inclusive approach is used in part because inquest verdicts are often not available for some years after a death (some 20 per cent. of these deaths will not receive a suicide or open verdict at inquest). Annual numbers may change slightly from time to time as inquest verdicts and other information become available. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: estimated number of individuals( 1)  who self-harmed in prison custody 
			  Nationality  1997( 2)  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Foreign 58 122 134 188 239 289 383 460 491 588 
			 UK 1,019 1,940 2,226 2,536 3,175 3,327 4,250 4,596 5,017 5,069 
			 Unknown 5 4 3 10 29 21 27 27 27 24 
			 Total 1,082 2,066 2,363 2,734 3,443 3,637 4,660 5,083 5,535 5,681 
			 (1) These are estimates of the number of individuals, based on 94 per cent. of recorded incidents of self-harm. Recorded self-harm is based on information supplied by prisons through the Prison Service Incident Reporting System (IRS). Self-harm is a high volume incident and is subject to technical and recording problems. Nevertheless, the system provides a sensible indication of the numbers of incidents and individuals who self-harm but the numbers should not be treated as absolute. (2) Please note that the way self-harm is reported in prisons improved in 2002 and figures before then are not comparable.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many  (a) assaults on,  (b) sexual assaults on and  (c) homicides of prisoners by other prisoners occurred in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many  (a) assaults and  (b) sexual assaults on prison officers by prisoners occurred in each year since 1997.

David Hanson: Measuring violence in prisons is imprecise. Acts of violence first have to be recognised as violence, secondly reported and thirdly recorded consistently. Different aspects of reported acts of violence can be counted in different ways, for example by reference to the act itself, the perpetrator, the victim, or the injury.
	The following tables contain the numbers requested. Although information on assault incidents has been collected since 1997, the emphasis initially was on reporting more serious incidents and most fights tended not to be reported on the incident reporting system. However, all assaults including fights are required to be reported, and due to significantly improved reporting, figures from 2002 are not directly comparable with those collected in earlier years. They are therefore presented separately.
	
		
			  Table 1: Assaults 1997 to 2001 
			  Type of assault  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 
			 Apparent homicides 2 4 — 3 — 
			 Prisoner on prisoner sexual assaults 45 62 76 82 69 
			 Prisoner on prisoner assaults 2,441 3,813 5,458 7,188 7,939 
			 Prisoner on officer sexual assaults 23 13 15 15 11 
			 Prisoner on officer assaults 1,710 1,589 1,867 1,931 2,378 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Assaults 2002-06 
			  Type of assault  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Apparent homicides — 1 2 3 — 
			 Prisoner on prisoner sexual assaults 112 92 102 87 93 
			 Prisoner on prisoner assaults 8,699 8,955 9,410 10,887 11,520 
			 Prisoner on officer sexual assaults 14 18 20 22 27 
			 Prisoner on officer assaults 2,503 2,522 2,761 3,091 3,123

Prisons: Food

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of each type of food served in prisons in England and Wales was of  (a) British,  (b) English and  (c) Welsh origin in the last year for which figures are available.

David Hanson: The total proportion of food of each origin cannot be accurately stated as the majority produce is of more than one country.

Prisons: Standards

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many complaints have been received by HM prison service about the commissioning of Ron Tasker's investigation; what action was taken on receipt of these complaints; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: My Department does not hold a central record of complaints received by the prison service into the commissioning of the Tasker investigation.

Privy Council: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employees in the Privy Council Office applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Michael Wills: No employees in the Privy Council Office applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof.

Racially Aggravated Offences

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many convictions for inciting racial hatred there were in each year since 1997.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	The Attorney-General's office keeps data on prosecutions under part 3 of the Public Order Act 1986, relating to offences concerning conduct intended to, or likely to, stir up racial hatred. The following table captures the relevant AGO data for the period 1997 to 2007 inclusive. The AGO statistics are recorded by reference to the year in which each case was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service by the police, rather than the year in which an offender was eventually convicted.
	
		
			  Year( 1)  Number of offenders convicted 
			 1997 4 
			 1998 0 
			 1999 3 
			 2000 5 
			 2001 1 
			 2002 1 
			 2003 7 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 2 
			 2006 3 
			 2007 0 
			 Total 29 
			 (1) Year the case were referred to CPS by police.

Sexual Offences

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which areas have been selected as pilot schemes for compulsory polygraph tests as a management tool to control sex offenders; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The terms for a pilot of mandatory polygraph testing of certain sex offenders on licensed release from custody, including which areas will participate in the pilots, have yet to be finalised. The purpose of the pilot, limited to two probation regions, would be to determine whether polygraph testing is a useful additional risk management tool for offender managers supervising sex offenders in the community.

Sexual Offences: Children

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were convicted of sexual offences against children in each year from 1980-81 to 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Information on the number of people convicted of sexual offences against children for the years 1995 to 2005 can be viewed in the following table.
	Information for 1980 to 1994 is being gathered and I will write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy in the Libraries of the House once available.
	Court proceedings data for 2006 will be available in the autumn of 2007.
	
		
			  The number of persons found guilty at all courts for sexual offences against children in England and Wales for the years 1995 to 2005( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Found guilty 
			 1995 2,300 
			 1996 2,599 
			 1997 2,660 
			 1998 2,557 
			 1999 2,507 
			 2000 2,286 
			 2001 2,163 
			 2002 2,284 
			 2003 2,154 
			 2004 2,399 
			 2005 2,198 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (3) 128 offences have been used In this table and include sections of the following statutes: Sexual Offences Act 2003, Sexual Offences Act 1956, Sexual Offences Act 1956 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sexual Offences Act 1956 as amended by Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000, Sexual Offences Act 1956 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967.  (4) Some offences have been omitted as the vast majority of data will be against adults, and a minority will be against children.   Source:  Court proceedings database—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice. 
		
	
	 Substantive answer from David Hanson to David Laws:
	In the response to PQ 153941 sent on 10/09/2007 I undertook to provide the additional information when it became available.
	Information on the number of people convicted of sexual offences against children for the years 1980 to 1994 can be viewed in the attached table.
	Court proceedings data are available on a calendar year basis.
	Court proceedings data for 2006 will be available in the autumn of 2007.
	I am placing a copy of this letter in the Library of the House of Commons.
	
		
			  The number of persons found guilty at all courts for sexual offences against children in England and Wales for the years 19 80  to  1994( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Found guilty 
			 1980 2,428 
			 1981 2,508 
			 1982 2,553 
			 1983 2,477 
			 1984 2,356 
			 1985 2,456 
			 1986 2,275 
			 1987 2,554 
			 1988 2,708 
			 1989 2,544 
			 1990 2,484 
			 1991 2,230 
			 1992 2,071 
			 1993 1,804 
			 1994 1,989 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (3) 128 offences have been used In this table and include sections of the following statutes: Sexual Offences Act 2003, Sexual Offences Act 1956, Sexual Offences Act 1956 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, Sexual Offences Act 1956 as amended by Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000, Sexual Offences Act 1956 as amended by the Sexual Offences Act 1967.  (4) Some offences have been omitted as the vast majority of data will be against adults, and a minority will be against children.   Source:  Court proceedings database—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice.

Sexual Offences: Eastern Region

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people on the Sex Offenders Register are in  (a) the east of England and  (b) Suffolk; and how many of these are being supervised by the probation service.

Maria Eagle: The number of sex offenders who are subject to notification requirements in  (a) the east of England and  (b) Suffolk who are managed through the multi-Agency public protection arrangements is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Registered sex offenders (RSOs) 
			Number 
			  (a) East of England 2,824 
			  (b) Suffolk 413 
		
	
	We do not collect data centrally to distinguish the number of offenders who are both subject to notification requirements and who are under the supervision of the probation service. This information would be available only at a disproportionate cost.

Sexual Offences: Monitoring

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many high-risk sex offenders are being monitored by satellite tracking; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: There are no offenders currently being monitored by satellite tracking. The satellite tracking pilots ran from September 2004 until June 2006, during which time 59 sex offenders were subject to tracking. The pilots were subject to an independent evaluation and the final report was published online on 2 August 2007. A copy was placed in the House of Commons Library.

Sexual Offences: Monitoring

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make a statement on his plans to increase public awareness of how sex offenders are housed in the community.

Maria Eagle: In England and Wales, a proportion of convicted sex offenders living in the community are housed in approved premises (formerly probation and bail hostels). Approved premises provide for enhanced supervision and for restrictions on offenders that would not be possible were such offenders to be dispersed into alternative accommodation in the community.
	Earlier this year, the Government published the report of their review of the protection of children from sex offenders. The report reaffirmed using approved premises to supervise certain sex offenders on release from custody. It also advocated a number of measures designed to increase public awareness of the way that sex offenders are managed in the community. All of those recommendations were accepted and are in the process of being introduced.
	In Scotland, the Scottish Executive's approach to housing sex offenders in the community is set out in the national strategy on the accommodation of sex offenders, published in 2007.

Sudbury Prison: Prisoner Escapes

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many inmates have absconded from Sudbury open prison since the beginning of the year; how many of these were convicted murderers; and what further steps he is taking to ensure that persons sent to prison remain in custody.

David Hanson: The information requested is being collated and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.
	 Substantive answer from David Hanson to Greg Knight:
	I recently undertook to write to you following your parliamentary question of 23 October. The information that you requested has now been collated by the prison service.
	Between 1 April and 30 September 2007 28 prisoners absconded from Sudbury open prison compared to 50 absconds for the same period in 2006. Two of these 28 prisoners were convicted for murder. Six of the 28 prisoners are still at large including one of the two murderers. A wide range of measures are in force to prevent absconds including rigorous intelligence systems to identify prisoners likely to abscond. In addition, HMP Sudbury is collaborating successfully with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure prosecution of absconders, acting as a further deterrent.

Terrorism: Asylum

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences since the events of 11 September 2001 have at some point claimed asylum.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

British Waterways Board: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department plans to make a financial contribution to British Waterways; whether she has had discussions with British Waterways on funding; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: DEFRA is the single Government sponsor of British Waterways in England and Wales. It provides core funding towards the upkeep of its waterways. Other Government Departments have the flexibility to fund the inland waterways direct where they can deliver specific policy requirements, e.g. through grants for regeneration and freight projects where funds are provided to reflect the contribution of inland waterways to Departmental objectives.
	My Department has had no direct discussions with BW on funding. However I understand that DEFRA and BW are working closely together on planning for the comprehensive spending review 2007 period in the context of the Department's overall priorities and financial pressures. DEFRA is also working with BW on a new long term strategy for a sustainable network that delivers wider Government priorities including regeneration, protection of historic and natural environment, well being and freight.

British Waterways Board: Grants

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department or its predecessors provided grants to British Waterways since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Convention for the Protection of National Minorities

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which organisations were included in her Department's consultation prior to the preparation of the second compliance report under the European framework convention for the protection of national minorities; and how these organisations were selected.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Communities and Local Government took over responsibility for the preparation of the UK's second compliance report under the framework convention for the protection of national minorities from the Home Office in May 2006. The Department prepared a draft report drawing on contributions from other Government Departments and the Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The draft report was then sent for comment to those Departments and Administrations, as well as to the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and a range of non-governmental organisations. Annex A to the second compliance report lists the non-governmental bodies to whom the draft report was sent. The list was based on that used by the Home Office for the first compliance report, along with other organisations who had requested copies of the draft report since then. The second compliance report was transmitted to the Council of Europe in February 2007. Copies of the report were placed in the Libraries of both Houses. It can also be viewed on the Council of Europe's website at:
	www.coe.int/T/E/human_rights/minorities/

Council Housing: Construction

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council houses were built in each of the last 30 years.

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of local authority dwellings built in each year since 1976 are tabulated as follows. Also included are the numbers of registered social landlord "social for rent" new build completions and total completions. The figures do not include social housing acquisitions which also increase the stock. In total in 2007-08 there will be 30,000 additional social housing units increasing to 45,000 additional social housing units by 2010-11. The Green Paper includes ways for more councils to build social housing.
	
		
			  New build "social rent" completions since 1976, England 
			   Local authority( 1)  Registered social landlords( 2) 
			 1976 118,093 14,436 
			 1977 115,839 24,193 
			 1978 93,304 20,572 
			 1979 74,790 16,275 
			 1980-81 74,776 19,927 
			 1981-82 48,241 15,040 
			 1982-83 29,534 10,763 
			 1983-84 29,538 14,776 
			 1984-85 28,774 13,351 
			 1985-86 21,965 10,910 
			 1986-87 19,206 10,369 
			 1987-88 16,215 11,206 
			 1988-89 16,151 10,766 
			 1989-90 14,784 10,914 
			 1990-91 12,958 14,575 
			
			 1991-92 7,113 14,657 
			 1992-93 2,579 36,931 
			 1993-94 1,451 38,816 
			 1994-95 853 39,867 
			 1995-96 757 43,458 
			 1996-97 451 29,146 
			 1997-98 323 23,692 
			 1998-99 178 22,429 
			 1999-2000 58 19,516 
			 2000-01 179 17,303 
			 2001-02 63 17,506 
			 2002-03 199 16,588 
			 2003-04 191 16,557 
			 2004-05 100 16,818 
			 2005-06 299 18,353 
			 2006-07 245 (3)21,500 
			 (3) Estimate.  Source: (1) New-build completions from P2 returns submitted by local authorities and National House Building Council (NHBC) (2) For years up to 1990-91 figures are from P2 and NHBC. From 1991-92 figures are "social rent" new build as reported by the Housing Corporation and include figures on S106 agreements. 
		
	
	New-build social for rent dwellings only make up part of the affordable supply; the remainder being acquired by registered social landlords or through new build intermediate housing e.g. low-cost home ownership.

Council Housing: Eligibility

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes have been made to the eligibility requirements for local authority social housing since May 1997.

Yvette Cooper: I will write to the hon. Member.

Council Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much revenue was raised from council tax in England in 2006-07  (a) in gross terms and  (b) net after council tax benefits; and what the forecast estimates are for 2007-08.

John Healey: The revenue raised from council tax in England in 2006-07 and the forecast for 2007-08 both in  (a) gross terms and  (b) net after council tax benefits are shown as follows.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			  As budgeted   
			 Council tax requirement 22,453 23,608 
			 Council tax benefit 3,349 3,532 
			 Net council tax income 19,104 20,076 
			
			  Outturn figures   
			 Gross council tax due 22,793 — 
			 Council tax benefit 3,239 — 
			 Net collectable debit 19,554 —

Council Tax: Statistics

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what statistics her Department collects on the amount and proportion of unpaid council tax that is written off.

John Healey: Details of the amount of unpaid council tax that has been written off by local authorities are collected on the quarterly return of council taxes and non-domestic rates (QRC4) form that is completed annually by all billing authorities.

Departments: Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under consolidated budgeting guidance, following comprehensive spending review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: No budget items for this Department have been reclassified as part of CSR07 decisions.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Parmjit Dhanda: The central Department has no property assets planned to be sold from 2007-08 to 2010-11. Asset management policy for its other classes of assets is to fully use them up before planned disposal, as nil value waste, rather than as saleable assets. In consequence there are no plans for asset sales by the central part of the Department in the period.
	The asset management strategy for the whole Communities and Local Government family is planned to be published in December.

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many civil law suits have been brought against her Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what efficiency savings her Department was required to make as part of its spending review 2004 targets; what efficiency projects have been undertaken in the Department in pursuit of those targets; on what date each was initiated; and how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Parmjit Dhanda: The details of the workstreams within our efficiency programme, including how much each was predicted to contribute towards the SR04 target are contained within the efficiency technical note published in December 2005 by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	The Department regularly publishes details on the progress made on meeting its efficiency target, including a breakdown of efficiency savings made in each workstream, in both its annual report and autumn performance report.

Departments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which buildings occupied by her Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Of the 16 buildings occupied by my Department, 14 are considered to be fully accessible, and two are not fully accessible to disabled people.
	Where there are access difficulties for disabled people, my Department makes appropriate reasonable adjustments to its arrangements for the recruitment and employment of staff, and the services and functions it delivers to its users, in accordance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
	This answer does not include Government office for the regions who carry out functions on behalf of 10 Government Departments.

Departments: Legislation

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many regulations her Department has  (a) brought forward and  (b) revoked over the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: In the period October 2006 to September 2007, Communities and Local Government made 101 statutory instruments (regulations and orders). As part of the regulatory changes made by these instruments 16 statutory instruments were revoked entirely, another was revoked as to England only, and another seven were partially revoked.
	The Government have committed to a 25 per cent. reduction in administrative burden arising from regulation by 2010. In delivering this commitment, the Government are also repealing regulations where appropriate.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether any of her Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Parmjit Dhanda: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the 'Model Contract for Special Advisers'. Copies of the 'Model Contract' are available in the Libraries of the House.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what dates her Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Parmjit Dhanda: No breaches of these budgets have been reported since 2001.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which financial years since 2001 her Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following supplementary estimates—rather than against plans at the start of the year—as plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as machinery of government and classification changes. The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper. Changes to plans arising in-year are published in public expenditure statistical analyses, as are differences between provisional and final outturns.
	In recent years, the Department's capital underspends have been reducing and have generally been below 5 per cent. The exception to this was in 2004-05, when a delay (caused by circumstances outside the Department's control and known only in the last week of the year) of a £225 million property transfer from NHS Estates to English Partnerships caused a larger underspend.
	Underspends which have arisen have generally been as a result of slippage on capital projects or of forecast capital acquisitions, which can occur for various reasons, not always in the control of the Department.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many citizens' juries have been arranged by her Department since June 2007; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each exercise.

Hazel Blears: The Department has not held any citizens' juries since June 2007. However, Communities and Local Government will be using juries to consider issues of cohesion, migration and housing. These are in the early stage of being arranged and no formal contracts have yet been issued, and no firm costs or budgets have yet been assigned to these.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) her Department and its predecessor and  (b) her Department's and its predecessor's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Hazel Blears: Data from 1997 is not readily available and would require a significant review of all engagement activities and analysis of the techniques used, extracting costs for citizens' juries at a disproportionate cost.

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many employees in  (a) her Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by her Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Parmjit Dhanda: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what percentage of questions tabled to her Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: From the start of the 2006-07 Session (15 November 2006) to 24 October 2007, the Department received 606 questions for answer on a named day of which 344 (56.8 per cent.) received a substantive reply on the day named.

Elections: Northumberland

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many representations she has received in favour of elections to the new Northumberland unitary authority being held in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009.

John Healey: holding answer 25 October 2007
	 We are continuing our dialogue with the affected authorities about election dates on the basis of our discussion paper, "Councils' Proposals for Unitary Local Government—An Approach to Implementation" published on 22 August. Once we have reached a final view, as reflected in any order under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, we will publish a summary of all representations and comments we have received on this matter.

Emergency Services

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the FireControl business case has considered the merits of tri-service emergency centres.

Parmjit Dhanda: Two independent reports by consultants Mott MacDonald looked at the provision of control room services including tri-service centres. The reports concluded that efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of fire control services could best be achieved from the amalgamation of existing controls into nine regional control centres. These reports informed the decision to proceed with FireControl.
	The FireControl business case sets out the costs and benefits of the FireControl project. It compares the merits of the proposed FireControl arrangements with those of the existing arrangements, which includes the tri-service centres.

Europe Economics: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding her Department has given to Europe Economics in each year since 2002; and for what purpose in the case of each award.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 654-55W.

Fire Service: Manpower

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 1030-31W, on fire service: manpower, what assessment she has made of the effect of the change in the number of control room operators, managers and other support staff to be employed at each fire control centre.

Parmjit Dhanda: We expect that the total number of staff in the new regional control centres to be around 30 per cent. less than the number currently employed in the control rooms of English fire authorities. As a result we expect there will be efficiency savings.
	The forecast staffing numbers will ensure the new system will match or exceed the performance of existing arrangements. The new system will also deliver enhanced resilience and functionality.
	The model used to generate forecast staff numbers is based on a range of data and assumptions. The model has been developed involving stakeholders from the fire and rescue service.
	The decision on the actual numbers of staff to be employed in each control centre will be for its RCC company to determine.

Floods: Boscastle

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial assistance her Department made available to the town of Boscastle following floods there.

John Healey: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Gazumping

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to tackle gazumping.

Yvette Cooper: The introduction of compulsory home information packs, coupled with e-conveyancing and the Department's work on wider reforms to home buying and selling aim to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the current home buying and selling process, including by discouraging gazumping.

Green Belt

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proposals for reviews to the green belt are contained within the draft regional spatial strategies.

Yvette Cooper: I will write to the hon. Member.

Green Belt: Planning

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans the regional spatial strategies have to review the green belt in each Government Office region.

Yvette Cooper: I will write to the hon. Member.

Home Information Packs

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was paid in aggregate to staff within the home information pack division in bonuses in the last year for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: I will write to the hon. Member.

Home Information Packs: Finance

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total funding is being provided by her Department to subsidise  (a) home information packs and  (b) energy performance certificates.

Yvette Cooper: In September 2006 the Department announced that up to £4 million would be allocated to support six area trials in England and Wales.
	In addition in May 2007 the Department announced funding of up to £0.5 million for up to 5,000 EPCs to be included in HIPs ordered prior to 1 August.
	In July 2007, the Department offered 50 per cent. funding for pilot projects to examine the technical production of EPCs for social housing. £2 million funding was allotted for registered social landlords (via the Housing Corporation) and up to £1.5 million for local authorities.

Home Information Packs: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the impact of the introduction of home information packs on the residential housing market in the Peterborough city council area; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Homebuy Options

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to increase the take up of the different Homebuy options.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 18 December 2007
	Since 1 April 2006, over 20,000 households across all regions have been helped into home ownership through open market homebuy, new build homebuy (shared ownership) and social homebuy, the shared ownership and shared equity products funded through the Housing Corporation. The Housing Corporation is on course to meet its overall target for 2006-08.
	To increase overall take up of Homebuy and particularly to increase new build shared ownerships schemes the Government will invest through the Housing Corporation to fund at least 25,000 low cost home ownership homes a year from 2008-09. In addition the Government are promoting other ways to increase investment in the affordable housing industry though use of public sector land and piloting local housing companies.
	Open market homebuy, which enables purchasers to buy with the help of an equity loan, aims to build a market for private sector involvement in shared equity which could ultimately stretch grant funding further. Currently four lenders are participating and offering shared equity mortgages under the scheme, though these products only suit some groups of first time buyers. In order to extend this to provide products suitable for a wider range of first time buyers we want to promote further private sector involvement in shared equity mortgages, to make products more competitive, and to widen choice and access. Therefore we will launch new shared equity products next year based on the competition being run by the Housing Corporation.
	We have also appointed Brian Pomeroy to advise us on development of the private shared equity market.
	In the meantime we agreed in the Green Paper that Government will provide an additional 17.5 per cent. shared equity product in the interim from July 2007 in order to widen access and choice and provide more flexibility.
	The provision of new shared ownership housing continues to rise and is helping purchasers to get on the housing ladder with shares from 25 per cent.
	Social homebuy is running as a voluntary pilot scheme until March 2008. The pilot scheme enables tenants of nine local authorities and 77 housing associations to purchase a minimum 25 per cent. share in their rented home at a discount. The Government are reviewing the operation of the pilots in order to look at more ways to help social housing tenants own assets.

Homebuy Options

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households have taken advantage of each of the three homebuy options since their inception.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 18 December 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to my answer earlier today (Question 109683).
	The following table sets out the completions for the homebuy/shared ownership products from April 2006 until September 2007.
	
		
			   Total  c ompletions 
			 Open Market Homebuy 3,477 
			 New Build Homebuy/Shared Ownership 18,029 
			 Social Homebuy Pilot Scheme 88 
			 Total Shared Ownership and Shared Equity 21,594 
			  Notes:  1. NBHB/SO excludes 11 units through LASHG LA with debt schemes.  2. NBHB/SO figures include RCGF units of 1,044 and 2,562 of RCGF units from 2005-06 not previously counted.  3. 1/4/07 to 30/9/07 NBHB/SO figures include 50 units through Thames Gateway social homebuy includes sales in both the housing association and local authority sectors.

Hometrack

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the written submissions by Hometrack to  (a) her Department and  (b) the Valuation Office Agency.

Yvette Cooper: The Valuation Office has received no written submissions from Hometrack. I refer to my answer of 29 October (question 152685) with regard to communications between Hometrack and CLG.

Housing

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what schemes her Department sponsors designed to assist all categories of first time buyers to buy a home; what public expenditure has been on each such scheme since inception; how many first time buyers have used each scheme since inception, broken down by region; and what estimate she has made of potential total demand for each such scheme in 2008-09.

Yvette Cooper: I will write to the hon. Member.

Housing: Energy

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations her Department has received from organisations calling for energy performance certificates to be attached to valuations.

Yvette Cooper: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Housing: Green Belt

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many dwellings were built within the 1997 designated Green Belt in each year between 1997 and 2006.

Yvette Cooper: I will write to the hon. Member.

Housing: Immigrants

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many dwellings were  (a) vacated and  (b) taken up by A8 EU accession country migrants in each month since January 2004 through Peterborough city council's choice-based lettings scheme.

Yvette Cooper: Information on dwellings that were  (a) vacated by A8 EU Accession Country Migrants is not collected centrally. Information on  (b) social lettings made to A8 EU Accessions Country Migrants through Choice-based Lettings scheme is not currently available. Since this Government came into power, we have strengthened the regulations which restricts access to social housing for foreign nationals.

Housing: Low Incomes

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households participated in  (a) social homebuy,  (b) newbuild homebuy and  (c) open market homebuy in each financial year since the inception of the relevant scheme.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) today , (PQ 109682).

Housing: Low Incomes

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much public expenditure was incurred on  (a) social homebuy,  (b) newbuild homebuy and  (c) open market homebuy in each financial year.

Yvette Cooper: The following table sets out the expenditure through the Housing Corporation affordable housing programme for the delivery of shared ownership and shared equity products from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007
	
		
			   Forecast public expenditure (£ million) 
			 Open Market Homebuy 76.9 
			 New Build Homebuy and Shared Ownership 320.5 
			 Social Homebuy 0.5 
		
	
	Funding and completions are not directly comparable, as funding will relate to projects running, not necessarily units completed, in any one year.

Housing: Low Incomes

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households took out a mortgage under new building homebuy in each month since the creation of the scheme.

Yvette Cooper: New build and shared ownership completions as a result of the Housing Corporation funding are set out in the following table. These figures do not include shared ownership homes funded through FTBI, transitional local authority social housing grant for with debt authorities and section 106 without grant.
	
		
			  New build homebuy and shared ownership—completions from 1 April 2006-30 September 2007 
			   Number 
			  2006-07  
			 April 27 
			 May 265 
			 June 342 
			 July 505 
			 August 584 
			 September 957 
			 October 671 
			 November 668 
			 December 1,308 
			 January 1,003 
			 February 904 
			 March 3,795 
			 Total 11,029 
			   
			  2007-08  
			 April 61 
			 May 178 
			 June 655 
			 July 611 
			 August 630 
			 September 1,259 
			 Total 3,394 
			   
			 Grand total 14,423 
			  Note: These figures do not include completed units through recycled capital grant fund

Housing: Low Incomes

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households took out a shared equity mortgage under open market homebuy in each month since the creation of the scheme.

Yvette Cooper: The table sets out completions under the open market homebuy scheme which is promoting private sector involvement in shared equity mortgages. Currently four lenders are participating in the joint public/private 25 per cent. equity loan. The Government believe more competitive products are needed to reach a wider number of first time buyers and has asked Brian Pomeroy to look at ways to better extend private sector involvement in shared equity in order to help more first time buyers.
	
		
			  Open market Home b uy—completions from 1 April 2006 to 30 September 2007 
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			 April 38 4 
			 May 1 230 
			 June 44 177 
			 July 189 171 
			 August 418 227 
			 September 423 161 
			 October 361 — 
			 November 176 — 
			 December 175 — 
			 January 97 — 
			 February 176 — 
			 March 409 — 
			 Total 2,507 970 
			
			 Grand total  3,477

Housing: Low Incomes

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the regional distribution is of the stock of homes purchased under the Government's  (a) social homebuy,  (b) open market,  (c) homebuy and  (d) shared ownership initiatives.

Yvette Cooper: I refer my hon. Friend to my response of 30 October to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) [Question 109683].
	The following table shows completions through social homebuy, open market homebuy, new build homebuy/shared ownership schemes by region from April 2006 to September 2007.
	
		
			  Regional Completions 1 April 2006 to 30 September 2007 
			   Social Homebuy  Open market Homebuy  New build Homebuy/share ownership 
			 North East 7 4 119 
			 North West 10 101 783 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 24 106 526 
			 East Midlands 4 73 1,013 
			 West Midlands 2 207 1,,015 
			 East 0 422 1,556 
			 London 39 1,163 4,717 
			 South East 2 1,222 3,476 
			 South West 0 1,79 1,229 
			 Total 88 3,477 14,434 
			  Notes:  1. 2006-07 Regional figures for shared ownership include 58 units through Thames Gateway (all in London) and 11 through LASHG LA with debt schemes.  2. 2007-08 end September figures include, in London, 50 shared ownership units provided through Thames Gateway  3. Regional figures do not include 1,044 RCGF completion or 2,562 2005-06 RCGF completions

Housing: Low Incomes

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of  (a) home completions and  (b) planning permission awards in each Government office of the regions area in England were affordable; and what proportion of these were for (i) sale, (ii) rent, (iii) shared-equity ownership and (iv) other housing tenure format in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Yvette Cooper: Tabulated as follows are the numbers of house building completions in each region in England since 1997-98. Also shown are the relative proportions of house building activity by tenure in each year. It is not possible to distinguish between owner occupied and private rent. Similar information on the numbers of planning permission awards by tenure is not held centrally.
	Not all affordable housing supply is through new build completions, supply can also come from the acquisition and refurbishment of private sector homes. In the 10 years between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 2007, approximately 120,000 additional affordable homes were supplied through acquisitions which are not represented in the following table. Complete figures for 2006-07 are not yet available.
	
		
			  House building completions by tenure 
			   Affordable housing completions( 1)  (new build only) (percentage)  Private sector completions (percentage)  Total new build completions( 2)  (number) 
			   Social rent  Intermediate  Proportions  Units 
			  North East 
			 1997-98 14 2 83 7,581 
			 1998-99 13 2 85 6,541 
			 1999-2000 10 1 89 7,196 
			 2000-01 7 1 92 6,641 
			 2001-02 11 2 87 6,429 
			 2002-03 5 0 95 5,607 
			 2003-04 9 0 90 5,939 
			 2004-05 8 1 91 7,132 
			 2005-06 10 3 86 7,637 
			 2006-07(3) — — — 8,193 
			  
			  North West 
			 1997-98 14 3 83 19,201 
			 1998-99 15 3 81 19,217 
			 1999-2000 12 2 86 18,281 
			 2000-01 11 2 87 18,172 
			 2001-02 13 3 84 15,835 
			 2002-03 11 3 86 18,197 
			 2003-04 6 3 91 17,752 
			 2004-05 7 4 89 17,905 
			 2005-06 6 4 90 20,619 
			 2006-07(3) — — — 18,110 
			  
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 
			 1997-98 13 3 83 15,464 
			 1998-99 11 3 86 13,083 
			 1999-2000 10 2 88 13,324 
			 2000-01 10 1 89 13,344 
			 2001-02 9 1 89 13,171 
			 2002-03 8 1 91 13,200 
			 2003-04 8 2 90 13,996 
			 2004-05 7 1 91 14,187 
			 2005-06 8 3 89 16,035 
			 2006-07(3) — — — 16,461 
			  
			  East Midlands 
			 1997-98 11 3 86 14,549 
			 1998-99 11 2 87 14,759 
			 1999-2000 7 2 91 16,484 
			 2000-01 8 2 90 13,675 
			 2001-02 8 1 91 14,102 
			 2002-03 8 1 91 14,875 
			 2003-04 7 2 90 14,375 
			 2004-05 7 3 90 15,465 
			 2005-06 9 6 84 16,886 
			 2006-07(3) — — — 18,171 
			  
			  West Midlands 
			 1997-98 16 3 81 13,392 
			 1998-99 15 2 82 14,253 
			 1999-2000 16 2 82 15,377 
			 2000-01 15 1 84 14,094 
			 2001-02 12 3 85 13,373 
			 2002-03 15 3 82 13,872 
			 2003-04 12 3 84 13,843 
			 2004-05 14 6 80 14,153 
			 2005-06 14 10 77 16,191 
			 2006-07(3) — — — 15,097 
			  
			  East 
			 1997-98 12 2 87 21,301 
			 1998-99 15 1 84 18,954 
			 1999-2000 10 0 89 18,767 
			 2000-01 13 1 86 16,026 
			 2001-02 14 1 85 15,616 
			 2002-03 12 1 86 17,844 
			 2003-04 13 2 85 18,395 
			 2004-05 13 2 85 19,885 
			 2005-06 14 6 79 20,251 
			 2006-07(3)22,616 
			  
			  London 
			 1997-98 30 6 64 13,623 
			 1998-99 26 7 67 14,877 
			 1999-2000 26 6 68 13,928 
			 2000-01 28 6 66 14,492 
			 2001-02 30 6 64 13,927 
			 2002-03 22 8 70 15,670 
			 2003-04 22 9 70 19,394 
			 2004-05 17 9 73 24,063 
			 2005-06 25 12 63 18,809 
			 2006-07(3) — — — 21,846 
			  
			  South East 
			 1997-98 19 2 78 25,441 
			 1998-99 20 3 77 23,199 
			 1999-2000 16 1 83 22,797 
			 2000-01 14 3 83 21,839 
			 2001-02 15 3 82 21,815 
			 2002-03 14 4 81 22,745 
			 2003-04 15 7 78 24,280 
			 2004-05 15 12 73 25,692 
			 2005-06 14 11 75 28,209 
			 2006-07(3) — — — 27,698 
			  
			  South West 
			 1997-98 17 2 81 19,003 
			 1998-99 14 2 84 15,825 
			 1999-2000 15 1 83 15,892 
			 2000-01 14 1 85 14,972 
			 2001-02 14 2 84 15,598 
			 2002-03 12 2 86 15,729 
			 2003-04 16 2 82 15,984 
			 2004-05 11 5 84 17,411 
			 2005-06 14 7 79 18,761 
			 2006-07(3) — — — 19,499 
			  
			  England 
			 1997-98 16 3 81 149,555 
			 1998-99 16 3 81 140,708 
			 1999-2000 14 2 84 142,046 
			 2000-01 14 2 84 133,255 
			 2001-02 14 2 83 129,866 
			 2002-03 13 3 84 137,739 
			 2003-04 13 4 83 143,958 
			 2004-05 12 6 82 155,893 
			 2005-06 13 7 80 163,398 
			 2006-07(3) — — — 167,691 
			 (3) Provisional .  Note: Due to founding proportions might not add to exactly 100 per cent. Sources: (1) Housing Corporation, HSSA returns from local authorities. (2) P2 house building returns from local authorities and National House-Building Council.

Housing: Low Incomes

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) councils and  (b) housing associations are participating in the (i) social homebuy scheme, (ii) open market homebuy scheme and  (c) new build homebuy scheme.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is as follows:
	(i)  (a) I refer the hon. Member to my response of 29 October 2007 to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) (Question 109683).
	(ii) The open market homebuy scheme is being offered across the country by 23 housing associations appointed as homebuy agents.
	(iii) 77 housing associations have an allocation to provide new build homebuy properties in 2006-08.

Housing: Low Incomes

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many contracts have been exchanged for properties under the  (a) social homebuy scheme,  (b) open market homebuy scheme and  (c) new build homebuy scheme in each government office region.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 30 October to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle Upon Tyne Central (Jim Cousins) (question 141752).

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social homebuy sales have been completed in each government office region in England.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 30 October to my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (Jim Cousins) (question 141752).

Housing: Low Incomes

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties have been purchased under the open market homebuy schemes.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 30 October (question 109682).

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of social homebuy purchasers have purchased  (a) 100 per cent. shares and  (b) shares between 10 per cent. and 100 per cent.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 30 October (question 109683).
	Of the 88 sales up to the end of September under the pilot social homebuy scheme, a quarter of sales involved the purchase of shares between 25 per cent. and 75 per cent.

Housing: Low Incomes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many transactions have been completed for sales under the new build homebuy scheme;
	(2)  how many transactions have been completed for sales under the open market homebuy and extended open market homebuy schemes.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to my response of 30 October to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) (question 109683).
	Most of the social homebuy pilot sales have been in the housing association sector, with three up to the end of September in the local authority sector.

Housing: Low Incomes

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 1331-2W, on housing: low incomes, how many of the new  (a) local authority social lettings and  (b) registered social landlords lettings were to foreign nationals from (i) EU states and (ii) non-EU states.

Yvette Cooper: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Housing: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will hold discussions with Peterborough city council on the impact of EU migration on the provision of social housing in Peterborough.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 19 October 2007
	 Ministers have received no request from Peterborough city council to hold discussions on the impact of EU migration on the provision of social housing in Peterborough. However, a Minister from Communities and Local Government regularly discusses the impact of migration on services throughout the United Kingdom, including housing, at meetings of the Migration Impacts Forum. The forum is jointly chaired between this Department and the Home Office. The forum is made up of representatives from both within and outside of government and the most recent meeting of the forum took place on 17 October.

Housing: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many individuals who are not UK citizens were housed by  (a) Cross Keys Homes and  (b) other registered social landlords in Peterborough under the auspices of the Accession (Immigration and Worker Registration) Regulations 2004 in each month since May 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Housing: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many individuals from EU Accession 8 countries have been classified as not habitually resident in the UK but homeless in Peterborough constituency in the period since May 2004; how many have subsequently been housed through the Peterborough city council choice- based lettings system; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Data on habitual residency is not held centrally.

Housing: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many citizens of EU Accession 8 countries have been refused admittance to the housing waiting list of Peterborough city council under section 160A(7) of the Housing Act 1996 since May 2004; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many individuals who are not UK citizens are on the priority banding system of the Peterborough city council housing waiting list at  (a) band 1,  (b) band 2,  (c) band 3,  (d) band 4 and  (e) band 5; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  if she will make an estimate of the number of people on the Peterborough city council housing waiting list who have  (a) Lithuanian and  (b) Polish nationality;
	(4)  if she will make an estimate of the proportion of the Peterborough city council choice-based lettings housing waiting list which is made up by individuals who do not hold British nationality.

Iain Wright: Local authorities in England report the numbers of households (not people) on their housing waiting list as at 1 April in their annual housing strategy statistical appendix returns. However, information is not collected centrally on  (a) whether the household has been refused admittance to the housing waiting list;  (b) information on the priority banding system of the waiting list;  (c) the nationality of the household on the waiting list or  (d) individual choice-based lettings registers,
	The number of households on Peterborough's housing waiting list, as at 1 April each year, is published on the Communities and Local Government website in table 600. The link for this table is given as follows:
	http://www.comm.unities.gov.uk/embedded_object.asp?id=1163853
	Not everyone on the waiting list is necessarily in urgent housing need. The waiting list includes those who consider social housing as their preferred or one of a number of housing options, and those who decide to get on to the waiting list ladder before they need or want to move house—particularly where the priority system is heavily based on waiting time.
	Since this Government came into power, we have strengthened the regulations which determine eligibility for access to social housing for foreign nationals.

Licensing: Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether information on  (a) applications and  (b) consents for premises selling alcohol or regulated entertainment under the Licensing Act 2003 is (i) required or (ii) at the seller's discretion for inclusion in home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: This information may be included in the home information pack at the seller's discretion.

Local Authorities: Voluntary Organisations

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what advice she has given to local authorities on the resource implications of implementing local compacts between local public bodies and the voluntary and community sector; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Effective, mutually beneficial partnership working underpins our relationship with the third sector. If utilised, local compacts can help deliver real change for communities.
	Resourcing of local compacts is, however, a local issue. The compact's code of good practice on funding and procurement recognises that the main partners comprising local partnerships should work together to effectively resource local compacts, through;
	local public bodies sharing the cost of development and partnership building;
	partnership boards including contributions in spending plans and government funding programme bids; and
	voluntary and community groups providing a package of support in kind, such as expertise, community links and use of networks.
	In addition, our local area agreement guidance refers to local authorities having regard to the capacity of the sector.

Local Government: Redundancy

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated expenditure is on redundancy compensation as a consequence of the forthcoming local government restructuring and establishment of unitary local government.

John Healey: In the nine areas in which the Secretary of State is currently minded to implement unitary structures, the authorities estimate that the staff release costs are in the order of £70 million. These costs variously include the costs of redundancy, early retirement and pension fund costs. Once implemented, these nine proposals, on the basis of councils' current estimates, will save over £150 million annually.

Muslim Council of Britain

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures her Department uses to assess whether the Muslim Council of Britain is tackling extremism and promoting shared values.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 25 October 2007
	The Government have made it clear that they are rebalancing their engagement towards those organisations that show leadership in tackling extremism and upholding shared values.
	The Department keeps its relationships with stakeholders under ongoing review to ensure that patterns of engagement continue to reinforce our objectives. The Department uses a range of measures to assess appropriate levels of engagement with all stakeholders. These include consideration of organisations' public statements and practical actions undertaken.

Non-Domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the percentage change was in the average business rates bill in England in each year since 1997-98.

John Healey: Details of the percentage change in the average national non-domestic rates (i.e. business rates) bill in England in each year since 1997-98 are shown in the table this information is available on the Department's website:
	www.communities.gov.uk
	
		
			   Percentage change 
			 1997-98 -0.1 
			 1998-99 3.2 
			 1999-2000 -0.3 
			 2000-01 18.1 
			 2001-02 5.4 
			 2002-03 4.1 
			 2003-04 0.7 
			 2004-05 1.8 
			 2005-06 7.5 
			 2006-07 6.0 
			 2007-08 2.0 
		
	
	The data, which refer to the local lists only, are taken from national non-domestic rates returns submitted by billing authorities.
	Average business rate is calculated by dividing the net rate yield from local authorities' lists by the number of hereditaments on local list as at 31 December of the previous year.
	It is not possible to compare years as the rateable values for individual properties, and hence actual rates bills, vary greatly.
	Changes in the figures for the years around 2000-01 and 2005-06 are affected by adjustments made to the multiplier at the time of revaluation.
	In addition the figures for the years around 2000-01 are affected by the transfer of both Crown properties and properties from the central list (where NNDR is paid directly to this department) to local lists (where NNDR is paid to local authorities).

Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether funding allocated to local authorities from the preventing violent extremism pathfinder fund will be in the form of project-related grants.

Parmjit Dhanda: Funds from the preventing violent extremism pathfinder fund are paid through the safer and stronger communities fund as part of local area agreements. They are not paid to local authorities in the form of project-related grants.

Regional Planning and Development: Greater Manchester

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress she has made on alternative economic strategies for east Manchester; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: The Prime Minister has asked the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to consider, with other Government Departments, whether deprived areas can be equally well served by forms of regeneration other than a regional casino. To this end, a review of alternatives to casino-led regeneration was commissioned. This work is at an advanced stage and my right hon. Friend will report on it to the Prime Minister shortly.

Renewable Energy: Meetings

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the meetings which the Housing Minister has held with representatives of  (a) the onsite renewable energy industry and  (b) housing developers and their representatives since June 2006.

Yvette Cooper: The Minister for Housing and Planning has met representatives of housing developers on the following dates since June 2006.
	28 November 2006
	31 January 2007
	28 March 2007
	15 May 2007
	13 June 2007
	11 July 2007
	12 September 2007
	17 September 2007
	24 October 2007
	Ministers from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform have met several times with representatives of the on-site renewable energy industry since June 2006. The DBERR and the Housing Minister both sit on the task force for zero carbon homes.

Renewable Energy: Trade Associations

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which trade associations representing the onsite renewable energy sector sit on her Department's climate change planning policy statement sounding board.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 644-45W, to the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Paul Holmes).

Renewable Energy: Yorkshire and Humberside

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  for what reasons she has struck out the draft Merton rule policy requiring 10 per cent. onsite renewable energy in all major new developments from the Yorkshire and Humber regional spatial strategy;
	(2)  what her Department's assessment is of the effect of ending the application of the existing Merton rule in the Yorkshire and Humber regional spatial strategy on those individual local planning authorities wishing to use the rule;
	(3)  for what reasons she did not accept the independent panel's recommendations that Yorkshire and the Humber should have a minimum region-wide 10 per cent. on-site renewables planning requirement for all major new developments;
	(4)  what events and conferences  (a) she and  (b) other Ministers from her Department have addressed relating to (i) the construction and housebuilding industry and (ii) the renewable energy industry since July 2006.

Yvette Cooper: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Rescue Services: West Yorkshire

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what responsibilities West Yorkshire fire service has in response to water rescue; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Fire and rescue authorities have a general power to respond to emergencies under Section 11 of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004: this encompasses responding to calls for assistance for water rescue.
	Fire and rescue authorities have duties to conduct risk assessments of their area as part of their integrated risk management planning process, and under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. If they conclude there is a risk in their area of incidents requiring a water rescue capability they may procure resources to respond to that risk. The flexibility in this process allows for local discretion and varying levels of risk between fire and rescue authorities. In practice, West Yorkshire fire and rescue authority does respond to water rescue incidents, of both people and animals.

Rural Areas: Grants

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities provide grants to support rural post offices and rural community development projects.

John Healey: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Sports: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to ensure that a copy of the draft feasibility study and completed feasibility study on a sporting village for Chorley commissioned by the north-west regional development agency is placed in the Library.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 23 October 2007
	I have placed a copy of the completed feasibility study in the Library of the House.

Waste Management: Fees and Charges

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to prevent waste collection authorities from making charges additional to council tax for providing bin bags.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	The Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 46, allows waste collection authorities to require occupiers to place waste for collection in receptacles of a kind and number specified. Bin bags are considered a 'receptacle' under the Act. Waste collection authorities may:
	(a) provide the receptacles free of charge;
	(b) provide the receptacles and ask the occupier to pay for them;
	(c) require the occupier to provide the receptacles himself if he does not agree to pay for them within a specified period, or;
	(d) require the occupier to provide the receptacles himself from the outset.

TREASURY

British Telecom: Fees and Charges

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on social exclusion of British Telecom's recent decision to make additional charges for payment methods other than direct debit.

Kitty Ussher: The independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), announced on 6 June that it would carry out a full review of communications providers' additional charges. The review covers charges for non-direct debit payments as well as other additional charges including late payment, restoration of service and early termination fees. It covers fixed and mobile operators and pay TV services.
	The review is examining consumers' awareness of and attitude to these types of charges. The review will consider whether additional charges are sufficiently transparent, whether the charges or their levels are unfair and what action, if any, is necessary. Ofcom expects to announce the conclusions of its review by the end of the year and progress may be monitored on its website:
	www.ofcom.org.uk

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the replies from HM Revenue and Customs of 15 October and 16 October to the letters from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire on his constituents, what his policy is on the maximum time required by HM Revenue and Customs to reply to correspondence from hon. Members.

David Tredinnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to reduce the four month period taken by the Tax Credit Office to reply to written enquiries by hon. and right hon. Members on behalf of their constituents.

Jane Kennedy: Although it is HM Revenue and Customs practice to reply to the majority of letters from right hon. and hon. Members within three weeks, following the administrative issue I referred to in my statement of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 62-63WS, some parts of HMRC's tax credits business have, unfortunately, been subject to delays. HMRC regret this and will continue to try to deal with all cases as quickly as they can.
	These delays are a result of HMRC having to look again at cases potentially affected by the procedural error and to ensure that households/individuals affected by the error are not given incorrect advice in advance of their award being reviewed.
	The three months indicated in the recent letter to the hon. Member was intended to be helpful and indicate the latest date by which HMRC hoped to have resolved the enquiry.

Death: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths there were with an  (a) primary and  (b) secondary diagnosis of (i) malnutrition and (ii) nutritional anaemias in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 30 October 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths there were with a (a) primary and (b) secondary diagnosis of (i) malnutrition and (ii) nutritional anaemias in each year since 1997. (161719)
	The latest year for which figures are available is 2005. The table below shows the number of deaths from 1997 to 2005 where malnutrition or nutritional anaemias were either the underlying cause of death, or were mentioned anywhere on the death certificate. The definition of malnutrition used includes deaths from 'effects of hunger'.
	
		
			  Number of deaths where malnutrition and effects of hunger, or nutritional anaemias,( 1)  were the underlying cause of death, or were mentioned on the death certificate, England and Wales, 1997 to 2005( 2) 
			   Malnutrition and effects of hunger  Nutritional anaemias 
			   Underlying cause of death  Mentioned on the death certificate  Underlying cause of death  Mentioned on the death certificate 
			 1997 56 238 92 638 
			 1998 51 221 72 554 
			 1999 46 271 84 517 
			 2000 46 239 52 482 
			 2001 57 258 66 411 
			 2002 72 296 52 409 
			 2003 73 286 64 430 
			 2004 57 276 61 423 
			 2005 66 276 64 420 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1997 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-IO). Codes selected were: Malnutrition—ICD-9 260-263, ICD-IO E40-E46 Effects of hunger—ICD-9 N994.2, T73.0 Nutritional anaemias—ICD-9 280-281, ICD-IO D50-D53 (2) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.

Departments: Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Angela Eagle: No items within the Treasury Group's budget were reclassified as part of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

Departments: Complaints

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many complaints about  (a) his Department and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs were received from members of the public by his Department in 2006-07.

Angela Eagle: H M Treasury and H M Revenue and Customs do not maintain records in the way requested and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Conferences

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent from the public purse by his Department and its agencies on organising conferences to be held by them that were subsequently cancelled in each of the last three years.

Angela Eagle: Defining cancelled conferences as events with more than 100 planned attendees, none of the Chancellor's departments had any cancellation costs in the last three financial years, except as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
			   Office of Government Commerce  OGCbuying.solutions, joint with DEFRA 
			 2004-05 6 — 
			 2005-06 10 — 
			 2006-07 — 27 
		
	
	On 7 June 2007,  Official Report, column 708W, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury provided information on the cost of cancellations by HM Revenue and Customs. That answer included events with no minimum number of attendees, and none of the events were planned to include more than 100 attendees.

Departments: Legislation

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many regulations his Department has  (a) brought forward and  (b) revoked over the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: In the past year, the information is as follows:
	(a) the Treasury has made 44 sets of regulations, and amended 52 existing regulations, in many cases revoking provisions of those existing regulations in the process; and
	(b) the Treasury has revoked eight sets of regulations in their entirety.
	The Treasury's Simplification Plan 2006 outlined 22 simplification measures including a regulatory reform order (RRO) to enable the FSA to make minor changes to its consultation procedures on guidance and make the variation of permissions (VOP) process less time consuming, resulting in savings of between £7.5 and £9.3 million per year for business.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Angela Eagle: Special advisers are appointed under the terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Departments: Publications

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library copies of the last 12 editions of the staff magazines for his Department and each of its agencies;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library copies of the last 12 editions of his Department's staff magazine.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 23 October 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the former Financial Secretary to the Treasury (John Healey) on 5 February 2007,  Official Report, column 737W.

Dietary Supplements: Channel Islands

David Tredinnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the Exchequer of low value consignment relief made available to businesses based in the Channel Islands for the import into the United Kingdom of food supplements and herbal remedies; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: No estimate has been made.

Financial Markets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the parties to the tripartite agreement are to carry out a review of their actions during the recent international financial market turbulence.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 18 October 2007
	The Chancellor informed the House on 11 October,  Official Report, column 463W. of the
	"need to review how the [tripartite] framework has operated and put in place whatever practical improvements are needed".
	The Financial Services Authority and the Bank of England have announced that they will be reviewing the lessons. The Chancellor has announced his intention to evaluate options in the light of these reviews and to publish proposals in the new year.

HM Revenue and Customs: Drug Seizures

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors underlie changes in the quantities of class A drugs  (a) seized by HM Revenue and Customs and  (b) reaching UK streets in each year since 2003-04; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information is as follows.
	 (a) There are a wide variety of factors that can underlie change in the quantities of Class A drugs seized each year. These include the volume of Class A drugs being targeted on the UK by traffickers, changes in the tactics and opening of new drug routes by traffickers in response to law enforcement activity, and volumes of production in source countries. Since 2003-04, HM Revenue and Customs have seized the following quantities of drugs.
	
		
			  Kilogrammes 
			  Financial year  Heroin  Cocaine  Ecstasy  Cannabis 
			 2006-07 527 2,368 1,212 62,966 
			 2005-06 1,057 5,798 468 41,611 
			 2004-05 1,613 8,606 740 57,504 
			 2003-04 1,626 20,727 1,245 57,617 
		
	
	The figures for 2006-07 represent the results of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) activity at the UK frontier. They do not include seizures made in those areas of the Department that were transferred to the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) on 1 April 2006, such as investigation and intelligence relating to Class 'A' drugs.
	 (b) Factors influencing the quantities of drugs reaching the streets will include demand and law enforcement effectiveness. The creation of SOCA in 2006, and the work to improve police capability on protective services are important here and the Government are currently consulting on a new national drugs strategy.

Inheritance Tax

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many estates which were charged inheritance tax were the estates of widows or widowers in each year since 1997; and of these how many were valued as being between the value of the inheritance tax lower threshold and twice the value of the inheritance tax lower threshold.

Jane Kennedy: Information on the number of estates paying IHT is published on the HMRC website at Table 1.4
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/tablel-4.pdf.
	Information on the number of widows or widowers paying IHT is not available in the format requested.

Minimum Wage

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in  (a) St. Ives, Cornwall,  (b) West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly constituency of St Ives,  (c) Cornwall and  (d) the UK earn the minimum wage; and what percentage of the population in work each figure represents.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 30 October 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people earn the minimum wage in (a) St Ives, Cornwall, (b) West Cornwall and Isles of Scilly constituency of St Ives, (c) Cornwall and (d) the UK; and what percentage of the population in work each figure represents. (161878)
	Estimates for the number of jobs paid at the national minimum wage in the UK are not available. However, I attach a table showing estimates of the number of jobs, and percentage of the UK workforce, who were paid less than the national minimum wage in April 2006 in the UK. I also attach a table showing the number of jobs earning less than the national minimum wage by Government Office Region. This is the lowest geographical breakdown available for estimates of the number of jobs paid below the national minimum wage.
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
	A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles can be found on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=5837
	
		
			  Number of jobs paid below the national minimum wage, UK 
			   2006 
			   Number (T housand)  Percentage 
			 Full-time 162 0.9 
			 Part-time 174 2.6 
			 All jobs 336 1.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Estimates of UK jobs paid below minimum wage by Government Office Region, 2006 
			  Government office region  Thousand  Percentage 
			 North East 16 1.6 
			 North West (including Merseyside) 36 1.3 
			 Yorks and Humber 27 1.3 
			 East Midlands 29 1.6 
			 West Midlands 33 1.4 
			 Eastern 33 1.4 
			 London 23 0.7 
			 South East 41 1.2 
			 South West 33 1.6 
			 Wales 15 1.3 
			 Scotland 41 1.8 
			 Northern Ireland 10 1.3 
			 All(1) 336 1.3 
			 (1 )2006 data are for those aged 16 and over.  Source:  Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Northern Rock

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his guarantee given to savers in Northern Rock applies to local authorities who are wholesale investors with Northern Rock.

Kitty Ussher: I refer the hon. Member to the letter sent by the Chancellor to the Chairman of both the Treasury Select Committee and the Public Accounts Committee on 20 September 2007, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House.

Northern Rock

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what mechanism he has calculated the amount to be paid by Northern Rock for the guarantee given by the Government to that company's depositors.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 16 October 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the letter the Chancellor wrote to the Treasury Select Committee and Public Accounts Committee on 11 October.

Northern Rock

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had about the treatment for accounting purposes of the guarantee given to Northern Rock depositors.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 16 October 2007
	The Chancellor has written to the Public Accounts Committee to explain the provision of the Government's guarantee arrangements as set out on 20 September and how these were extended on 9 October. Both letters confirmed the provision of a loan facility by the Bank of England.

Northern Rock

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to ensure that the purchaser of Northern Rock plc fully funds the existing and future liabilities of the employees' pension schemes.

Kitty Ussher: This is a matter for the trustees of the relevant pension schemes, the company and the pensions regulator.

Northern Rock

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he and his officials have made of the maximum potential liability of  (a) the Government and  (b) the Bank of England for Northern Rock employees' pensions if Northern Rock plc (i) enters administration, (ii) is taken into public ownership by the Bank of England and (iii) is sold at a discount to its net asset value.

Kitty Ussher: At the request of the company the Government have put in place guarantee arrangements to protect certain deposits in and certain uncollaterlised wholesale borrowing by Northern Rock plc. and the Bank of England is providing loan facilities. These arrangements will allow the company to continue to pursue all its strategic options.

Northern Rock

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the future operational effectiveness and financial security of the Northern Rock Foundation.

Kitty Ussher: The Government have received a number of representations on the future of the Northern Rock Foundation.
	The Government fully recognise the important contribution and work that the foundation has carried out to improve the conditions of people disadvantaged by age, infirmity, poverty or other circumstances, especially in the North East. At the request of the company the Government have put in place guarantee arrangements to protect deposits in Northern Rock plc and the Bank of England is providing loan facilities. These arrangements will allow the company to continue to pursue all its strategic options.

Office for National Statistics: Redundancy

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many redundancies the closure of the London Office of National Statistics is expected to create; what race equality impact assessment his Department has made of the closure; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that staff with the necessary skills to maintain the quality of UK official statistics may be recruited outside London.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 30 October 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the Chancellor of the Exchequer asking how many redundancies the closure of the London Office of National Statistics is expected to create; what race equality impact assessment his Department has made of the closure; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that staff with the necessary skills to maintain the quality of UK official statistics may be recruited outside of London. (161676)
	The ONS plans to relocate much of its statistical work from London to its offices in Newport and Titchfield follows the recommendations made in The Independent Review of Public Sector Location published by Sir Michael Lyons in March 2004. A subsequent target to relocate 850 posts out of London and the South East by April 2010 was set as part of the 2004 Spending Review.
	So far ONS has relocated 347 full time equivalent (FTE) post out of London and the South East with a further 74 FTEs having moved from London to Titchfield. ONS has specific redeployment strategies in place, using the Cabinet Office protocols, to manage the reduction of staff and a dedicated team has been established to assist staff find opportunities elsewhere in other government offices. By working closely with the Cabinet Office and Trade Unions, ONS are committed to doing everything possible to avoid or minimise the need for compulsory redundancies for those people who wish to continue their careers in the Civil Service.
	ONS completed a Race Equality Impact Assessment in 2004, this assessment was updated in 2006.
	The work is moving to established offices in Newport and Titchfield which already have a broad base of statistical skills. ONS has a comprehensive risk management strategy in place aimed at maintaining the quality of its statistical outputs. The risks are under constant review and ONS will, if necessary, adjust the pace of relocation to minimise risk to key economic and social statistics. Many key outputs have already relocated from London without loss of quality. Key economic and social statistics such as the Consumer and Retail Price Indices, Social Trends and Labour Market statistics are now produced in Newport.
	Staff turnover in London is traditionally much higher than in Newport, there is more risk of losing key skills in the capital. ONS has had significant success in their recruitment campaigns in Newport and Titchfield and are confident that they will meet recruitment targets.

Population

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what central assumptions his Department makes in its projections for  (a) mean and  (b) median (i) fertility, (ii) average age at marriage and (iii) marriage rates for each gender.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 30 October 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question regarding the central assumptions made in projections for (a) mean and (b) median (i) fertility, (ii) average age at marriage and (iii) marriage rates for each gender. (161835).
	Assumptions of fertility rates are required for national population projections. The most recent national population projections, based on the population at the middle of 2006, were published on 23 October 2007. Details of the central fertility assumptions for the UK and its constituent countries are available at:
	http://www.gad.gov.uk/Demography_Data/Populationy2006/methodology/fertass.asp
	Projections of the population by legal marital status are only produced at England and Wales level. The most recent population projections by marital status are based on the population at the middle of 2003 and were published in March 2005. Details of the marriage rate assumptions are available at:
	http://www.gad.gov.uk/Demography_Data/Marital_status_projections/2003/marriage_assumptions.asp
	It would require further work to calculate projections of the average age at marriage consistent with the marriage rate assumptions used for the 2003-based marital status projections. This information could be provided at a later date.

Pre-Budget Report 2007

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when it was decided that the title of the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review would be Meeting the aspirations of the British people.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the printing costs were of  (a) the 2007 Pre-Budget Report,  (b) the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review main document and  (c) the 2007 Budget Report;
	(2)  on what date and at what time printing began for  (a) the 2007 Pre-Budget Report,  (b) the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review main document and  (c) the 2007 Budget Report;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a copy of a draft from before 1 October of his Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review speech.

Andy Burnham: It has been the practice of successive Governments not to release drafts of official documents, nor to provide a commentary on drafting or production processes.
	The 2007 pre-Budget report (PBR) and comprehensive spending review (CSR) is a single document, the printing costs of which have yet to be confirmed. The document was published on 9 October. The approximate cost associated with the printing of the Budget 2007 document was £60,000 (excluding VAT).
	As is typically the case for all Budgets, pre-Budget reports and spending reviews, the printing of the documentation accompanying the 2007 PBR and CSR started around two weeks ahead of the publication date. The printing of the main document began in the final days ahead of the publication date.

Pregnant Women: Nutrition

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual cost of the proposed payment to pregnant women in respect of healthy diets.

Jane Kennedy: The grant will provide financial support to all expectant mothers in recognition of the importance of a healthy lifestyle including diet during the final weeks of pregnancy.
	Based on an assumption that the proposed Health in Pregnancy Grant will be a one-off payment of £190, the estimated annual cost is £160 million in 2009-10 and £130 million in each subsequent year. The estimated annual cost is higher in the first year as there will be more claims in that year, from those women in their final weeks of pregnancy at April 2009, who satisfy the entitlement conditions on the date of introduction.

Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which aspects of the 2006-07 policy review were adopted in the final version of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Andy Burnham: Together with a wider process of analysis and external engagement, the 2006-07 policy reviews informed the broad priorities reflected in the departmental budgets and public service agreements set by the 2007 comprehensive spending review (CSR). The detailed policy ideas emerging from the reviews are being considered by relevant Departments as part of their ongoing policy development over the course of the 2007 CSR period.

Public Expenditure

Graham Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the projected real terms percentage annual increase in public expenditure per capita is  (a) in total and  (b) for each Government Department taking account of anticipated population growth over the current Comprehensive Spending Review period;
	(2)  what the projected real terms percentage annual increase in public expenditure is  (a) in total and  (b) for each Government Department above the level needed to keep pace with anticipated population growth over the current Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Alistair Darling: Table 3.1 of the pre-Budget report and Comprehensive Spending Review (Cm7227) sets out real growth in departmental expenditure limits in total and by Department.
	Population was identified as on one of the long term factors that formed part of the analysis underpinning the CSR, published in "Long Term Challenges and Opportunities for the UK: Analysis for the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review" in November 2006. The latest population projections, which are consistent with the range of assumptions in the CSR, are available on the Government Actuary's Department website at:
	http://www.gad.gov.uk/Demography_Data/Population.

Regional Procurement Bodies

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the name and address of each of the regional procurement bodies.

Angela Eagle: There are a number of purchasing consortia which are run by local authorities; these operate on a sub-regional, regional, and cross-regional basis. We do not hold this information centrally. However, the Society of Procurement Officers (SOPO) maintains a comprehensive list of member authorities. The Society can be contacted through their website at http://www.sopo.org.uk
	Collaborative procurement organisations within the NHS consist of NHS trusts and primary care trusts. These are normally within the same strategic health authority or regional boundary, collaborating to make the most effective procurement and supply chain decisions, in conjunction with NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and other organisations including Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and regional developments agencies, in order to provide best value for stakeholders within their respective health economies.

Smuggling: Drugs

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the Law Enforcement Business Plan on seizures of controlled drugs and illegal firearms smuggled into the UK made in  (a) the south west region and  (b) across the UK since it was implemented.

Angela Eagle: The Law Enforcement Business Plan was published by the former HM Customs and Excise in 2003 to focus operational activities on HMCE's strategic law enforcement priorities, namely tobacco, oils, alcohol and Class A drugs. No assessment has been made of the impact of the plan on seizures of controlled drugs or illegal firearms. HM Revenue and Customs continues to work closely with SOCA, the Home Office and other key partners to tackle threats to the UK from a wide variety of prohibited and restricted goods.

Taxation: Defaulters

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many investigations of alleged tax defaulters begun by HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessors in each of the last 10 years have resulted in  (a) proceedings being issued and  (b) a conviction.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (RCPO) was created as an independent Government Department on 18 April 2005.
	The following table lists the number of tax prosecutions we have brought since 1998. It should be noted that the number of cases does not necessarily have a one to one correlation with the number of HMRC investigations undertaken.
	
		
			   Number of cases  Number of cases resulting in convictions  Type of case 
			 2007-08(1) 132 124 VAT and former IR crime group taxes cases 
			 2006-07 251 227 VAT and former IR crime group taxes cases 
			 2005-06 (2)— (2)— — 
			 2004-05 (2)— (2)— — 
			 2003-04 79 69 VAT only 
			 2002-03 90 74 VAT only 
			 2001-02 97 62 VAT only 
			 2000-01 129 88 VAT only 
			 1999-2000 94 73 VAT only 
			 1998-99 96 74 VAT only 
			 (1) 2007-08 includes figures for April to September (six months). (2) This data could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Taxation: Domicile

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions he made in estimating the revenue raised from Modernisation of residence and domicile taxation in table B4, page 164 of the pre-Budget Report about  (a) the number of non-domiciles who would pay the new £30,000 charge,  (b) the gain from non-domiciles who choose to bring their tax affairs on-shore and  (c) other factors for (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Jane Kennedy: I very much regret that it has not proved possible to answer the hon. Gentleman's question, which first appeared on 26 October, before Parliament is prorogued later today.

Teenage Pregnancy: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many conceptions among girls  (a) 18 years old,  (b) 17 years old,  (c) 16 years old,  (d) 15 years old and  (e) 14 years old and under occurred in (i) Peterborough constituency and (ii) Peterborough City Council area in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 30 October 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many conceptions among girls (a) 18 years old, (b) 17 years old, (c) 16 years old, (d) 15 years old, (e) 14 years old and under occurred in (i) Peterborough constituency and (ii) Peterborough City Council in each year since 1997. (161875)
	Numbers of conceptions in Peterborough UA for the years 1997-2005 (the most recent year for which figures are available) are shown in the table below. Figures for 2005 are provisional.
	Figures on under 16 and under 18 conceptions are estimated using the number of conceptions that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or legal termination.
	Information on conceptions is routinely published for local authorities and strategic health authorities. Figures cannot be provided by Parliamentary Constituency because of the risk of disclosing individual's information, due to small differences between the Parliamentary Constituency and local authority boundaries.
	ONS does not publish figures by single year of age below the age of 16 by either local or health authority because of the risk of disclosing individual's information. Figures for girls aged 16, 17 and 18 are not readily available.
	
		
			  Number of conceptions to girls aged under 16 and under 18, Peterborough UA 1997-2005 
			   Under 18  Under 16 
			 1997 161 26 
			 1998 185 34 
			 1999 158 24 
			 2000 147 27 
			 2001 167 31 
			 2002 179 32 
			 2003 155 32 
			 2004 175 32 
			 2005(1) 184 40 
			 (1) Conceptions for 2005 are provisional.

Unemployment: Young People

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of youth unemployment was in  (a) each London constituency and  (b) each Government region in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 30 October 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rate of youth unemployment was in (a) each London constituency and (b) each Government region in each of the last five years. (161767)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1 provides estimates of the rates of youth unemployment in each London parliamentary constituency and each Government Office region for the 12 month periods ending in February for 2003 and 2004 from the annual LFS, and for the 12 month periods ending in March for 2005 to 2007, from the APS.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty. For the constituencies, the sample sizes are not sufficient to give an accurate estimate of even the direction of the change over the period.
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 2 shows the annual average number of JSA claimants aged 18 to 24, resident in each London constituency, and each Government Office region for 2002 to 2006. For constituencies only the numbers of claimants are available, as population by age group for constituencies are not available. For Government Office regions the numbers of claimants and these numbers as percentages of the 18 to 24 year old populations are provided.
	
		
			  Table 1: Youth unemployment rates: London parliamentary constituencies and Government office regions 
			   Youth unemployment rate (Percentage) 
			   12 months ending: 
			   February  March 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  London parliamentary constituency  
			 Barking 21 19 42 12 21 
			 Battersea 49 (1)— (1)— (1)— 33 
			 Beckenham (1)— (1)— 19 (1)— 23 
			 Bethnal Green and Bow 14 22 20 23 17 
			 Bexleyheath and Crayford 8 (1)— 13 (1)— 10 
			 Brent East 20 8 (1)— 16 50 
			 Brent North 24 35 14 29 60 
			 Brent South 14 19 17 24 21 
			 Brentford and Isleworth 14 (1)— 20 15 22 
			 Bromley and Chislehurst (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 15 
			 Camberwell and Peckham 28 41 48 18 23 
			 Carshalton and Wallington 13 25 12 5 (1)— 
			 Chingford and Woodford Green 15 (1)— 17 15 (1)— 
			 Chipping Barnet (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Cities of London and Westminster 25 9 13 9 (1)— 
			 Croydon Central 23 10 16 16 36 
			 Croydon North 28 22 24 31 13 
			 Croydon South 12 13 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Dagenham 20 15 27 21 28 
			 Dulwich and West Norwood 25 12 22 (1)— 38 
			 Ealing North 16 25 27 18 33 
			 Ealing Southall (1)— 18 10 32 (1)— 
			 Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush 14 30 (1)— 23 19 
			 East Ham 30 21 18 16 25 
			 Edmonton 16 (1)— (1)— 49 (1)— 
			 Eltham 26 (1)— 20 (1)— 25 
			 Enfield North 24 12 (1)— 29 18 
			 Enfield, Southgate (1)— (1)— 35 31 (1)— 
			 Erith and Thamesmead (1)— 27 9 25 14 
			 Feltham and Heston 13 28 14 10 21 
			 Finchley and Golders Green 29 15 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich 26 (1)— 34 23 26 
			 Hackney North and Stoke Newington 13 21 50 (1)— 35 
			 Hackney South and Shoreditch 19 18 (1)— 34 25 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 12 10 29 20 21 
			 Hampstead and Highgate 9 12 (1)— 21 15 
			 Harrow East 23 33 30 30 15 
			 Harrow West 22 19 (1)— 19 (1)— 
			 Hayes and Harlington (1)— (1)— 33 37 27 
			 Hendon (1)— (1)— 48 (1)— 14 
			 Holborn and St. Pancras 23 35 16 (1)— 26 
			 Hornchurch (1)— 14 (1)— 17 10 
			 Hornsey and Wood Green 27 18 26 21 (1)— 
			 Ilford North 23 (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Ilford South 11 (1)— 23 26 40 
			 Islington North 12 22 14 22 18 
			 Islington South and Finsbury 22 (1)— 24 18 32 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 11 (1)— (1)— (1)— 30 
			 Kingston and Surbiton 8 12 23 25 15 
			 Lewisham East 35 28 22 (1)— 31 
			 Lewisham West 16 29 31 (1)— 29 
			 Lewisham, Deptford 14 27 29 23 15 
			 Leyton and Wanstead 23 40 13 38 34 
			 Mitcham and Morden 20 36 27 32 28 
			 North Southwark and Bermondsey 18 16 23 32 22 
			 Old Bexley and Sidcup (1)— (1)— (1)— 17 20 
			 Orpington (1)— (1)— (1)— 21 (1)— 
			 Poplar and Canning Town 32 9 26 35 37 
			 Putney 21 10 (1)— (1)— 25 
			 Regent's Park and Kensington North 8 24 21 26 21 
			 Richmond Park (1)— (1)— (1)— 11 (1)— 
			 Romford (1)— 10 (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Ruislip—Northwood (1)— (1)— (1)— 24 (1)— 
			 Streatham 15 21 24 17 12 
			 Sutton and Cheam (1)— 12 16 19 14 
			 Tooting 12 22 13 31 28 
			 Tottenham 28 38 30 29 25 
			 Twickenham (1)— (1)— 9 11 16 
			 Upminster (1)— (1)— (1)— 45 13 
			 Uxbridge (1)— (1)— 11 29 17 
			 Vauxhall 16 29 30 29 25 
			 Walthamstow 12 (1)— 35 20 18 
			 West Ham 21 22 18 (1)— 32 
			 Wimbledon 13 (1)— 15 (1)— (1)— 
			   
			  Government office region  
			 North East 15 17 15 17 16 
			 North West 13 12 13 14 15 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 12 13 12 14 14 
			 East Midlands 11 12 11 13 15 
			 West Midlands 14 14 14 14 15 
			   
			  London parliamentary constituency  
			 East Midlands 10 9 10 10 12 
			 London 15 16 18 20 20 
			 South East 10 9 10 11 11 
			 South West 9 9 9 10 11 
			 (1) Sample size too small to provide estimates.  Notes: 1. Estimates are subject to sampling variability. 2. Changes in the estimates over time should be treated with caution.  Source: Annual Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Youth JSA claimants: London parliamentary constituencies and Government office regions 
			   (Claiming over 12 months)( 1) 
			   Annual average 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			   Number  Rate( 2)  Number  Rate( 2)  Number  Rate( 2)  Number  Rate( 2)  Number  Rate( 2) 
			  London parliamentary constituency   
			 Barking 415 n/a 490 n/a 530 n/a 610 n/a 615 n/a 
			 Battersea 430 n/a 465 n/a 450 n/a 440 n/a 425 n/a 
			 Beckenham 265 n/a 295 n/a 320 n/a 375 n/a 315 n/a 
			 Bethnal Green and Bow 1,120 n/a 1,220 n/a 1,250 n/a 1,380 n/a 1,465 n/a 
			 Bexleyheath and Crayford 190 n/a 225 n/a 260 n/a 290 n/a 330 n/a 
			 Brent East 600 n/a 620 n/a 650 n/a 645 n/a 705 n/a 
			 Brent North 305 n/a 350 n/a 370 n/a 375 n/a 360 n/a 
			 Brent South 710 n/a 755 n/a 835 n/a 840 n/a 865 n/a 
			 Brentford and Isleworth 305 n/a 390 n/a 395 n/a 420 n/a 430 n/a 
			 Bromley and Chislehurst 210 n/a 235 n/a 255 n/a 270 n/a 275 n/a 
			 Camberwell and Peckham 890 n/a 980 n/a 910 n/a 945 n/a 925 n/a 
			 Carshalton and Wallington 205 n/a 255 n/a 265 n/a 355 n/a 390 n/a 
			 Chingford and Woodford Green 255 n/a 275 n/a 290 n/a 315 n/a 330 n/a 
			 Chipping Barnet 245 n/a 305 n/a 265 n/a 305 n/a 335 n/a 
			 Cities of London and Westminster 420 n/a 430 n/a 405 n/a 475 n/a 435 n/a 
			 Croydon Central 505 n/a 550 n/a 515 n/a 580 n/a 590 n/a 
			 Croydon North 670 n/a 745 n/a 715 n/a 805 n/a 795 n/a 
			 Croydon South 195 n/a 220 n/a 215 n/a 235 n/a 275 n/a 
			 Dagenham 380 n/a 450 n/a 540 n/a 645 n/a 675 n/a 
			 Dulwich and West Norwood 700 n/a 700 n/a 675 n/a 705 n/a 675 n/a 
			 Ealing North 395 n/a 410 n/a 435 n/a 490 n/a 515 n/a 
			 Ealing Southall 635 n/a 675 n/a 635 n/a 645 n/a 685 n/a 
			 Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush 575 n/a 625 n/a 620 n/a 675 n/a 655 n/a 
			 East Ham 795 n/a 875 n/a 880 n/a 995 n/a 1,190 n/a 
			 Edmonton 520 n/a 645 n/a 750 n/a 795 n/a 915 n/a 
			 Eltham 415 n/a 430 n/a 465 n/a 520 n/a 600 n/a 
			 Enfield North 390 n/a 510 n/a 530 n/a 595 n/a 680 n/a 
			 Enfield, Southgate 320 n/a 370 n/a 395 n/a 365 n/a 390 n/a 
			 Erith and Thamesmead 610 n/a 660 n/a 715 n/a 770 n/a 795 n/a 
			 Feltham and Heston 380 n/a 445 n/a 465 n/a 495 n/a 550 n/a 
			 Finchley and Golders Green 335 n/a 395 n/a 385 n/a 390 n/a 375 n/a 
			 Greenwich and Woolwich 750 n/a 795 n/a 780 n/a 820 n/a 810 n/a 
			 Hackney North and Stoke Newington 815 n/a 865 n/a 825 n/a 875 n/a 915 n/a 
			 Hackney South and Shoreditch 925 n/a 1,040 n/a 1,065 n/a 1,165 n/a 1,155 n/a 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 475 n/a 570 n/a 560 n/a 560 n/a 570 n/a 
			 Hampstead and Highgate 390 n/a 435 n/a 435 n/a 445 n/a 450 n/a 
			 Harrow East 335 n/a 370 n/a 425 n/a 445 n/a 450 n/a 
			 Harrow West 245 n/a 295 n/a 310 n/a 340 n/a 305 n/a 
			 Hayes and Harlington 365 n/a 470 n/a 460 n/a 535 n/a 565 n/a 
			 Hendon 475 n/a 550 n/a 550 n/a 580 n/a 545 n/a 
			 Holborn and St. Pancras 680 n/a 725 n/a 690 n/a 725 n/a 705 n/a 
			 Hornchurch 170 n/a 195 n/a 195 n/a 225 n/a 255 n/a 
			 Hornsey and Wood Green 610 n/a 665 n/a 685 n/a 710 n/a 785 n/a 
			 Ilford North 290 n/a 320 n/a 320 n/a 370 n/a 390 n/a 
			 Ilford South 600 n/a 635 n/a 690 n/a 800 n/a 880 n/a 
			 Islington North 690 n/a 785 n/a 830 n/a 850 n/a 895 n/a 
			 Islington South and Finsbury 550 n/a 635 n/a 690 n/a 735 n/a 755 n/a 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 220 n/a 240 n/a 215 n/a 230 n/a 200 n/a 
			 Kingston and Surbiton 190 n/a 240 n/a 275 n/a 305 n/a 270 n/a 
			 Lewisham East 485 n/a 570 n/a 600 n/a 635 n/a 625 n/a 
			 Lewisham West 625 n/a 675 n/a 690 n/a 725 n/a 725 n/a 
			 Lewisham, Deptford 795 n/a 795 n/a 730 n/a 775 n/a 800 n/a 
			 Leyton and Wanstead 530 n/a 575 n/a 625 n/a 605 n/a 675 n/a 
			 Mitcham and Morden 435 n/a 485 n/a 495 n/a 595 n/a 610 n/a 
			 North Southwark and Bermondsey 860 n/a 915 n/a 925 n/a 1,030 n/a 980 n/a 
			 Old Bexley and Sidcup 150 n/a 185 n/a 200 n/a 195 n/a 235 n/a 
			 Orpington 230 n/a 260 n/a 285 n/a 360 n/a 375 n/a 
			 Poplar and Canning Town 1,115 n/a 1,205 n/a 1,295 n/a 1,390 n/a 1,470 n/a 
			 Putney 260 n/a 270 n/a 290 n/a 310 n/a 305 n/a 
			 Regent's Park and Kensington North 690 n/a 750 n/a 690 n/a 750 n/a 780 n/a 
			 Richmond Park 155 n/a 190 n/a 180 n/a 195 n/a 195 n/a 
			 Romford 210 n/a 240 n/a 205 n/a 245 n/a 285 n/a 
			 Ruislip—Northwood 145 n/a 190 n/a 195 n/a 210 n/a 205 n/a 
			 Streatham 755 n/a 790 n/a 725 n/a 785 n/a 760 n/a 
			 Sutton and Cheam 130 n/a 150 n/a 155 n/a 200 n/a 210 n/a 
			 Tooting 425 n/a 440 n/a 440 n/a 460 n/a 425 n/a 
			 Tottenham 1,110 n/a 1,160 n/a 1,285 n/a 1,340 n/a 1,375 n/a 
			 Twickenham 145 n/a 170 n/a 160 n/a 185 n/a 185 n/a 
			 Upminster 180 n/a 200 n/a 205 n/a 245 n/a 280 n/a 
			 Uxbridge 220 n/a 265 n/a 295 n/a 325 n/a 315 n/a 
			 Vauxhall 960 n/a 1,080 n/a 1,060 n/a 1,130 n/a 1,075 n/a 
			 Walthamstow 630 n/a 695 n/a 775 n/a 800 n/a 830 n/a 
			 West Ham 885 n/a 950 n/a 950 n/a 985 n/a 1,065 n/a 
			 Wimbledon 140 n/a 180 n/a 200 n/a 235 n/a 230 n/a 
			
			  Government office region   
			 North East 16,920 7.4 16,365 6.9 14,680 6.0 15,235 6.1 16,860 6.6 
			 North West 34,335 5.9 33,785 5.6 30,885 4.9 33,020 5.1 38,655 5.8 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 24,335 5.4 23,950 5.0 21,485 4.3 23,610 4.6 27,255 5.1 
			 East Midlands 15,460 4.3 15,965 4.3 14,350 3.7 15,705 3.9 18,990 4.6 
			 West Midlands 24,825 5.5 26,265 5.6 25,215 5.2 27,960 5.7 33,400 6.7 
			 East Midlands 13,195 3.1 14,275 3.3 14,310 3.2 16,215 3.6 19,200 4.1 
			 London 35,435 5.0 39,205 5.6 40,030 5.7 43,145 6.1 44,475 6.2 
			 South East 15,310 2.3 16,810 2.5 16,785 2.4 18,730 2.7 22,515 3.2 
			 South West 12,035 3.1 12,010 3.0 10,805 2.6 11,950 2.8 14,200 3.2 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Computerised claims only. (2) Percentage of population aged 18 to 24.  Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative system.

Written Questions: Costs

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of answering question 143343 on IT contracts, tabled by the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 13 June.

Angela Eagle: The information to answer the question is not held centrally.
	Prior to 2006 HMT procurement was undertaken by HMRC under a service level agreement with HMT. Details of HMT contracts since 2006 are now held on a central database, however that database does not record the level of detail on competitive tendering and the numbers invited to tender required to answer the question.
	Therefore, the time and resource required to identify all relevant information was assessed to exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £700.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bail

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made on bail reform in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: In the past few years a number of reforms have been made to bail legislation. New powers include the creation of an offence of breach of bail and a police power of entry for actual or likely breaches; police powers to grant 'street bail' and to attach conditions to bail after charge; and improved laws to allow police and court bail to operate more smoothly and continuously. It is also my intention to bring forward powers relating to police bail in the next criminal Justice Order, which will be announced shortly.

Children: Protection

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time taken to complete a protection of children and vulnerable adults check by the Police Service of Northern Ireland was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: The PSNI Child/Vulnerable Adult Access Vetting Unit currently receives around 5,000 requests for vetting each week.
	Random checks show that vetting checks received are being returned to registered bodies on average within five to six weeks.

Children: Protection

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many protection of children and vulnerable adults check requests the Police Service of Northern Ireland received in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The figures for each of the last three years are approximately:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005 130,200 
			 2006 150,300 
			 2007 180,000 
		
	
	The 2007 figure is a projection based on the year to date figure.

Children: Protection

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many protection of children and vulnerable adults checks are outstanding in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: There are currently 6,095 vetting checks being processed by PSNI Child/Vulnerable Adult Access Vetting Unit. Figures on the number of checks processed per month are not routinely collected. However, a manual check of records shows that the Unit processed 16,145 checks during the last full calendar month (September 2007).
	Included in the figure are those vetting checks that have been forwarded to other police services—for example, Scotland, Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and An Garda Siochana for their input.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Shaun Woodward: The following table illustrates the Northern Ireland Office's assets (excluding its agencies and Executive NDPBs) which are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Description of asset  Current net book value (NBV)  2007-08 Actual/expected revenue  2008-09 to 2010-11 (3) expected revenue 
			 Surplus Land 64,498 65,961 — 
			 Office Building and Land 4,800 — 4,800 
			 Residential Properties(1) 6,552 (2)3,308 (3)4,059 
			 (1) The addresses of residential properties have not been provided for security reasons.  (2) The expected revenue of residential properties disposed of in 2007-08 is based on the proceeds received to date, plus the forecast receipts for the remainder of the year.  (3) For the planned disposals in the years 2008-09 to 2010-11 it is assumed that assets will be sold at their net book value. The Department is still finalising details of the actual year each property will be sold in, but further details will be provided in the Department's CSR07 Asset management Strategy which is due to be published in December 2007.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a breakdown of his Department's efficiency savings in relation to its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets, including  (a) the efficiency projects in the Department,  (b) the date on which they were initiated and  (c) how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Shaun Woodward: Details of the Northern Ireland Office's efficiency savings in relation to Spending Review 2004 can be seen in the Department's Efficiency Technical Note. A copy has also been placed in the Library.

Departments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: With the exception of upper floors of Stormont House, which are used to provide overnight accommodation in lieu of hotel rooms for Ministers and officials, all NIO buildings are accessible to disabled people. Should a Minister or official with an ambulant disability be posted to Northern Ireland then reasonable adjustment will be made to Stormont House. Professional advisors are currently assessing whether it is possible to provide a means of access to the upper floors for ambulant disabled people.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Shaun Woodward: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract For Special Advisers. Copies of the Model Contract are available in the Libraries of the House.

Departments: Older Workers

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each executive agency funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Paul Goggins: Civil servants who joined prior to 30 July 2007 are allowed to retire at age 60 but have the right to remain in post until age 65, without having to apply to do so. Civil servants who joined after 30 July 2007 are allowed to retire at age 65. At age 65 all staff have the right, under the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, to apply to continue working.
	Until the future Northern Ireland Office policy on the age of retirement has been formally agreed, staff reaching the age of 65 can apply to continue working and will obtain approval on the basis of a six month extension from their 65(th) birthday.
	To date the Northern Ireland Office have seven staff aged beyond 65 and a further 11 staff between the ages of 60 and 65 have applied to continue working beyond the age of 65.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of questions tabled for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: From 1 November 2006 to date, the Northern Ireland Office received 297 named day parliamentary questions, of which 51 per cent. (151) received a substantive reply on the day named.

Fireworks

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many licence applications were  (a) received and  (b) granted under the Explosives (Fireworks) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 in each of the years since the Regulations came into operation.

Paul Goggins: The figures requested are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Total issued 
			 2002 (1)1,067 
			 2003 1,362 
			 2004 1,032 
			 2005 907 
			 2006 847 
			 2007 (2)823 
			 (1) The figures for 2002 are from May 2002 to 31 December 2002 (2) The figures for 2007 are from 1 January 2007 to 30 October 2007 
		
	
	Exact figures are not available for applications refused in each year, although the numbers are minimal.

Fireworks

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland were  (a) charged with and  (b) convicted of illegal use of fireworks in each year since 2002.

Paul Goggins: The number of people charged with offences relating to illegal use of fireworks is not collected centrally. The number of people prosecuted and subsequently convicted of relevant offences is collected and is set out in the following table.
	Data cover the calendar years 2002 to 2005 (the latest available year) and are collated on the principal offence rule; therefore only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Prosecutions and convictions for the illegal use of fireworks by offence 2002-05( 1) 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005 
			   Prosecuted  Convicted  Prosecuted  Convicted  Prosecuted  Convicted  Prosecuted  Convicted 
			 Throwing firework 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 
			 Possessing firework without a licence 2 2 3 3 6 5 11 10 
			 Possession of prohibited fireworks 4 4 0 0 2 2 3 3 
			 Using fireworks without a licence 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 
			 Discharge firework near road injuring or endangering person 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 9 8 3 3 9 8 16 15 
			 (1) data do not include: purchasing fireworks without a licence; unlawfully keeping fireworks for sale, and; failing to keep proper records of fireworks sales.

Police: Devolved Matters

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he is making towards the devolution of policing and criminal justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Shaun Woodward: The Government have made a firm commitment to be ready to devolve policing and justice in May 2008 as envisaged in the St. Andrews Agreement, should the Assembly so request. An extensive programme of work is in place to ensure that this can be delivered.

Police: Pay

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much overtime was paid to Police Service of Northern Ireland  (a) regular officers,  (b) full-time reserve officers and  (c) civilian support staff in each financial year since 2004-05.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Police overtime costs 
			  £ million 
			   Regular Officers  Full-time reserve  Civilian support staff 
			 2004-05 45.504 7.963 4.298 
			 2005-06 50.333 6.840 4.851 
			 2006-07 46.2 4.446 4.654

Police: Sick Leave

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many Police Service of Northern Ireland  (a) regular and  (b) full-time reserve officers are on paid sick leave;
	(2)  how much was spent on mandatory leadership training in his Department in each financial year since 2003-04.

Paul Goggins: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Sexual Offences: Northern Ireland

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made on the establishment of a sexual assault referral centre in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Responsibility for the establishment of a Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Northern Ireland is shared between the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Northern Ireland Office. PSNI and NIO officials are working closely with colleagues from the DHSSPS to develop such a facility. A number of options have been developed and these are currently under consideration.

HEALTH

Academic Health Sciences Centre

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what definition his Department uses of an academic health sciences centre; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The national health service Next Stage Review Interim Report set out proposals to bring together world class research, teaching and patient care to encourage innovation and deliver exemplary care for patients. It also set out proposals to roll-out Academic Health Science Centres, which do just this, in major teaching centres across the country. This work—including definitions—will be taken forward as part of the next stage of the review.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Bexley

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished admission episodes for patients admitted via accident and emergency under the responsibility of Bexley Primary Care Trust there were in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the average age was of those patients.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table shows a count of finished admission episodes (FAE) and mean age for patients admitted via Accident and Emergency (A and E) to national health service hospitals under the responsibility of Bexley Care Trust for 2005-06.
	
		
			  Count of FAE  Mean age (years) 
			 14,146 53 
			  Notes: Emergency admission defined as admission methods 21 and 28: 21 = Emergency: via A and E services, including the casualty department of the provider 28 = Emergency: other means, including patients who arrive via the A and E department of another healthcare provider  FAE A FAE is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Ungrossed Data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Data Quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source:  HES, The Information Centre for health and social care.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Drugs

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accident and emergency in-patient admissions there were in 2006 for drugs overdoses in England.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of finished admissions admitted via accident and emergency (A and E) with a primary diagnosis of drugs overdose in England for 2005-06, is shown in the following table. Data for drug overdoses are not defined within one specific hospital diagnosis code. These diagnoses include cases where a drug or substance may have been taken in error, as well as for cases where the patient has taken an overdose of a drug. The data is collected for each financial year, not calendar years.
	
		
			  Count of finished admission episodes via Accident and Emergency for selected primary diagnoses( 1) : National Health Service Hospitals, England, 2005-06 
			  ICD-10 Primary diagnosis  Count of finished admission episodes 
			 T36 829 
			 T37 330 
			 T38 1,693 
			 T39 45,970 
			 T40 8,082 
			 T41 103 
			 T42 14,491 
			 T43 17,010 
			 T44 1,865 
			 T45 1,851 
			 T46 1,204 
			 T47 416 
			 T48 467 
			 T49 480 
			 T50 7,761 
			 Total 102,552 
			 (1) Primary Diagnoses International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes: 
		
	
	
		
			  Drug Overdose 
			 T36 Poisoning by systemic antibiotics 
			 T37 Poisoning by other systemic anti-infective and antiparasitics 
			 T38 Poisoning by hormones and their synthetic substitutes and antagonists, not elsewhere classified 
			 T39 Poisoning by nonopiod analgesics, antipyretics and antirheumatics 
			 T40 Poisoning by narcotics and psychodysleptics [hallucinogens] 
			 T41 Poisoning by anaesthetics and therapeutic gases 
			 T42 Poisoning by antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic and anti-parkinsonism drugs 
			 T43 Poisoning by psychotropic drugs, not elsewhere classified 
			 T44 Poisoning by drugs primarily affecting the autonomic nervous system 
			 T45 Poisoning by primarily systemic and haematological agents, not elsewhere classified 
			 T46 Poisoning by agents primarily affecting the cardiovascular system 
			 T47 Poisoning by agents primarily affecting the gastrointestinal system 
			 T48 Poisoning by agents primarily acting on smooth and skeletal muscles and the respiratory systems 
			 T49 Poisoning by topical agents primarily affecting skin and mucous membrane and by opthalmological, otorhinolaryngological and dental drugs 
			 T50 Poisoning by diuretics and other and unspecified drugs, medicaments and biological substances.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action has been taken since 1997 to reduce levels of alcohol misuse.

Dawn Primarolo: The "Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England" was published in March 2004. It was the first cross Government strategy seeking to reduce harms caused by alcohol. Progress has been made, for example through;
	better education and communication through the 'Know Your Limits' binge drinking campaign;
	improving health and treatment services through the first national assessment of the need for and availability of alcohol treatment and trailblazer projects involving 57 health and criminal justice sites identifying and advising people whose drinking habits are likely to lead to ill health in the future;
	combating alcohol-related crime and disorder through the use of new enforcement powers in the Licensing Act 2003 and Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006; and
	work with the alcohol industry to include health information on alcohol labels, set up local partnership schemes such as 'Best Bar None' to promote responsible management of licensed premises, and to set up a new independent charity, the Drinkaware Trust, to promote sensible drinking.
	It also contained a commitment to take stock of progress during 2007. This has taken place and next steps to further our objectives are set out in a renewed Strategy which was published in June 2007, titled "Safe, Sensible, Social—Next Steps in the National Alcohol Strategy". Its aim is to focus future action on reducing the types of harm that are of most concern to the public, by reducing crime and ill health caused by alcohol. It aims to increase the public's awareness of the risks associated with excessive consumption and how to get help. "Safe. Sensible. Social", sets out the Government's ambition to achieve significant reductions in the harms and cost of alcohol misuse in England over the next 10 years.

Ambulance Services: Protective Clothing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 905W to the hon. Member for the Wrekin, what criteria are used to determine necessity for stab proof vests  (a) in his Department and  (b) in ambulance trusts.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not have criteria to determine necessity for stab vests as the decision to provide these is a local matter.
	Each NHS ambulance trust will make their own decision, which we expect will be informed by local risk assessments.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1950W, on ambulance services: standards, what percentage of ambulance trusts achieved the target response times for category  (a) A and  (b) B of emergency ambulance dispatches; and if he will place in the Library the performance data for each ambulance trust in each category.

Ben Bradshaw: The percentage of ambulance trusts that achieved the target response times for category A and B is shown in the following table. This information has been calculated using the data recorded in tables 5a and 5b of the "Ambulance Services, England 2006-07 Bulletin" which is available in the Library and on the Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/audits-and-performance/ambulance/ambulance-services-england-2006-07
	The new ambulance trusts which formed as a result of mergers in 2006 inherited varied positions in terms of operational performance and are taking forward service improvements to ensure that performance is brought up to required standards.
	National performance in 2006-07 was as follows:
	74.6 per cent. of category A calls received a response within eight minutes.
	97.0 per cent, of category A calls received a response within 19 minutes of a request being made for transport.
	90.5 per cent, of category B calls received a response within 19 minutes.
	
		
			  Emergency incidents: ambulance services achieving targets( 1)  by response times and category of call, 2006-07, England 
			   Category A calls  Category B calls 
			   Response within eight minutes  Response within 19 minutes  Response within 19 minutes 
			 Total number of ambulance trusts 13 13 13 
			 Number of ambulance trusts achieving targets 8 10 4 
			 Percentage of ambulance trusts achieving targets 61.5 76.9 30.7 
			 (1) Targets: Category A emergencies which are immediately life threatening. Ambulance services are expected to reach 75 per cent. of category A calls within eight minutes and have a vehicle capable of transporting the patient arrive on scene within 19 minutes of a request for transport being made, 95 per cent. of the time. Category B emergencies which are serious but not immediately life threatening. For category B calls, services should respond to 95 per cent. of incidents, with a vehicle capable of transporting the patient, within 19 minutes.  Source: Form KA34.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether there is a link between the incidence of bovine tuberculosis and the incidence of atypical tuberculosis.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department is not aware of any link between the incidence of bovine tuberculosis and the incidence of human disease caused by non-tuberculosis mycobacteria. The incidence of bovine tuberculosis in humans in the United Kingdom in recent years has remained stable, at less than 1 per cent., of all reported tuberculosis cases.

Central Middlesex Birthing Centre

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of building and equipping Central Middlesex Birthing Centre.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a matter for the local national health service. However, I am informed by NHS London that the cost of building and equipping Central Middlesex Birthing Centre was approximately £3 million.

Central Middlesex Birthing Centre: Admissions

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the annual number of patients that are likely to be admitted to Central Middlesex Birthing Centre.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not held centrally by the Department of Health.
	Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for commissioning health services to meet the needs of the local population. I understand that in September 2007 Brent PCT and North West London Hospitals NHS Trust issued a joint public consultation document—"The future of the Brent Birth Centre". This estimates that around 300 women per annum choose to have their babies at the Brent Birth Centre, also known as the Central Middlesex Birthing Centre.

Children: Cannabis

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of 16 years sought treatment for cannabis use in  (a) England,  (b) the East of England and  (c) Suffolk in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: We do not hold data for the whole of the period requested. Data for 2005-06 and 2006-07, the years for which data are available are contained in the following tables.
	
		
			  2005-06: Main drug of use in treatment—cannabis ages 9 -15 
			   In treatment 
			Cannabis 
			  Drug action team (DAT)  All drugs  Number  Percentage 
			 Suffolk 83 49 59 
		
	
	
		
			  2006-07 : Main drug of use in treatment—cannabis ages 9 -15 
			   In treatment 
			Cannabis 
			  DAT  All drugs  Number  Percentage 
			 Suffolk 106 57 54 
		
	
	
		
			  2005-06:  Ages 9 -15 main drug cannabis 
			   In treatment 
			Cannabis 
			  Region  All drugs  Number  Percentage 
			 London 1,188 787 66 
			 North East 703 419 60 
			 South East 981 574 59 
			 Eastern 380 235 62 
			 West Midlands 585 344 59 
			 South West 698 406 58 
			 East Midlands 658 409 62 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 599 330 55 
			 North West 1,757 1,088 62 
			 Total 7,571 4,606 61 
			 Missing 22 14 — 
		
	
	
		
			  2006-07: Ages 9-15 main drug cannabis 
			   In treatment 
			Cannabis 
			  Region  All drugs  Number  Percentage 
			 London 1,619 1,039 64 
			 North East 785 358 46 
			 South East 1,253 672 54 
			 Eastern 493 277 56 
			 West Midlands 753 421 56 
			 South West 728 386 53 
			 East Midlands 677 395 58 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 771 348 45 
			 North West 2,057 1,175 57 
			 Total 9,150 5,079 56 
			 Missing 14 8 — 
		
	
	
		
			  Ages 9-15 main drug cannabis 
			   In treatment 
			Cannabis 
			   All drugs  Number  Percentage 
			 2006-07 9,031 5,037 56 
			 2005-06 7,479 4,567 61

Children: Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he received prior to publishing the 2005 guidance paper Working Together to Safeguard Children.

Kevin Brennan: I have been asked to reply.
	The new 'Working Together to Safeguard Children', published in 2006, replaced earlier guidance published in 1999. In 2005 the guidance was published in draft for consultation by the then Department for Education and Skills (DFES), now the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). A report on the consultation was published in February 2006. (A copy of the report has been place in the Library of the House). The majority of respondents welcomed the guidance and believed it clearly defined the roles and responsibilities of all professionals in working together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. A number of issues were raised by respondents including the length of the guidance; issues about the breadth of the role of new Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs); the removal of the Child Protection Register; and the clarity of draft guidance on child death reviews.

Chiropody: Elderly

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what funding was allocated to NHS chiropody services for the elderly in each of the last five years;
	(2)  whether the waiting lists for NHS chiropody services for the elderly comply with the Government's commitment to 18 weeks from referral to treatment in  (a) England,  (b) the North East and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Information about how much funding primary care trusts (PCTs) allocate to chiropody services is not collected centrally. It is for PCTs in partnership with local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, outlined in the national service frameworks and to commission services accordingly.
	Therapies and treatments delivered by chiropodists are included in the 18-week maximum waiting time target if they form part of a consultant led pathway.
	In order to support all services provided by chiropodists, including those provided to older people, the Department is implementing a therapies improvement programme. The programme will focus on improving access to allied health professional services through improving the available information and data management. The programme will support improvement in therapy services through providing local events and information for allied health professionals and local health communities.

Chiropody: Elderly

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what services are provided through the NHS for elderly patients requiring chiropody treatment in  (a) the North East and  (b) the area corresponding as closely as possible to Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not held centrally.

Clostridium: Disease Control

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis was for setting the Public Service Agreement target to reduce  clostridium difficile rates by 2011 by 30 per cent. compared to a 2007-08 baseline.

Ann Keen: The basis for the indicator was the mandatory  c lostridium difficile surveillance data. An analysis of the best performing 25 per cent. of non-specialist trusts indicated that a 30 per cent. reduction could be achieved if rates in the other trusts improved to the same level as trusts within this group i.e. all trusts achieve the rates of the best. This is not the limit of our ambition but the minimum reduction that we are asking the service to achieve.

Community Nurses

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time community matrons there were in each of the last five years, broken down by trust.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is shown in the table.
	Community matrons were collected separately from modern matrons for the first time in the 2006 census with their own specific occupation code. In 2005 the Department defined modern matrons working in community settings as community matrons.
	Prior to 2001, the pay grade "matron" had been obsolete for over 30 years as the number of nurse managers have been recorded in the national health service census with general and senior managers.
	It takes the work force census a few years to catch up with new occupation titles. Before 2005 it is not possible to define which staff grouping community matrons would have fallen under.
	In September 2006 there were 366 community matrons, an increase of 99 or 37 per cent. since 2005. Based on recent discussions with a number of strategic health authorities (SHA) we believe that the census is an undercount, with community matrons most likely being recorded in the census within other occupational groups.
	We are committed to increasing the number of community matrons and local development plans strongly suggest this is happening.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: Community matrons by nature of contract in England by SHA and by organisation as at 30 September 2006 
			  Headcount 
			   Total( 1)  Full - time  Part - time 
			 England 366 317 48 
			 
			 North East Strategic Health Authority 32 31 1 
			 County Durham PCT 4 4 0 
			 Gateshead PCT 6 6 0 
			 South Tyneside PCT 9 8 1 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 13 13 0 
			 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority 72 62 10 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 8 8 0 
			 East Lancashire PCT 12 9 3 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 12 8 4 
			 Liverpool PCT 20 20 0 
			 North Lancashire PCT 5 4 1 
			 Oldham PCT 8 8 0 
			 The Mid Cheshire Hospital NHS Trust 1 0 1 
			 Warrington PCT 1 1 0 
			 West Cheshire PCT 3 2 1 
			 Wirral PCT 2 2 0 
			 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber Strategic Health Authority 70 56 14 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 6 6 0 
			 Calderdale PCT 10 5 5 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 2 2 0 
			 Kirklees PCT 5 5 0 
			 Leeds PCT 30 25 5 
			 Rotherham PCT 9 7 2 
			 Sheffield PCT 8 6 2 
			 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority 28 24 4 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 9 8 1 
			 Nottingham City PCT 7 7 0 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 12 9 3 
			 
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority 31 27 4 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 7 6 1 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 3 2 1 
			 Solihull Care Trust 7 7 0 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 12 10 2 
			 Warwickshire PCT 2 2 0 
			 
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority 31 28 3 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 2 2 0 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 2 2 0 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching PCT 3 3 0 
			 Mid Essex PCT 7 5 2 
			 Norfolk PCT 1 1 0 
			 North East Essex PCT 5 5 0 
			 South East Essex PCT 4 4 0 
			 South West Essex Teaching PCT 5 4 1 
			 Suffolk PCT 2 2 0 
			 
			 London Strategic Health Authority 35 34 1 
			 Enfield PCT 10 10 0 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 1 1 0 
			 Havering PCT 6 6 0 
			 Hounslow PCT 3 3 0 
			 Islington PCT 2 2 0 
			 Lambeth PCT 6 6 0 
			 Wandsworth PCT 3 2 1 
			 Westminster PCT 4 4 0 
			 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority 12 11 0 
			 Berkshire East Teaching PCT 4 4 0 
			 Berkshire West PCT 7 7 0 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT(1) 1 0 0 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority 55 44 11 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 1 1 0 
			 Bristol Teaching PCT 26 19 7 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 13 11 2 
			 Dorset PCT 5 5 0 
			 Somerset PCT 1 0 1 
			 Swindon PCT 5 4 1 
			 Torbay Care Trust 2 2 0 
			 Wiltshire PCT 2 2 0 
			 (1) Portsmouth City Teaching PCT's total also includes a member of bank staff, hence the one extra member of staff in the total.  Source: Information Centre for health and social care 2006 Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Death

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of finished episodes of care with a primary diagnosis of  (a) coronary heart disease,  (b) stroke and transient ischaemic attack,  (c) diabetes,  (d) chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder,  (e) cancer,  (f) dementia,  (g) depression and  (h) chronic kidney disease had a secondary diagnosis of (i) malnutrition and (ii) nutritional anaemias in each year since 1997-98.

Ben Bradshaw: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before the Prorogation.

Death

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of finished episodes of care with a primary diagnosis of  (a) malnutrition and  (b) nutritional anaemias had a secondary diagnosis of (i) coronary heart disease, (ii) stroke and transient ischaemic attack, (iii) diabetes, (iv) chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, (v) cancer, (vi) dementia, (vii) depression and (viii) chronic kidney disease in each year since 1997-98.

Ben Bradshaw: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before the Prorogation.

Dental Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the legal advice underlying his Department's policy not to allow a parental opt-out for dental screening epidemiological surveys; and whether his Department obtained legal advice on its policy to allow a parental opt-out for the medical testing of obesity.

Ann Keen: No, the legal advice which we have received is confidential. However, we can say that dental screening and epidemiological surveys are very different from weight and height population monitoring exercises, and that the legal advice reflects those differences.
	Consent is needed for the dental surveys because they involve internal investigation (within the mouth) which might otherwise be an assault and battery whereas weight and height data can be collected with minimal or no touching. Also, the lawfulness of the dental surveys depends on consent whereas the height and weight exercise relies on the Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations 2002 (No.1438).

Dental Services: Derbyshire

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many NHS dental practices are operating in Derbyshire;
	(2)  how many dentists on NHS contracts were registered in Derbyshire in each year since 2004.

Ann Keen: Numbers of national health service dentists at primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) area as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 are available in Annex E of the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006".
	This information is based on the old contractual arrangements. This report, published by The Information Centre for health and social care and a copy of the report is available in the Library and is also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006
	Data in this report are available for High Peak and Dales PCT, Chesterfield PCT, North Eastern Derbyshire PCT, Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire PCT, Amber Valley PCT and Erewash PCT. These PCTs merged to form Derbyshire County PCT on 1 October 2006. Data are also available for Central Derby PCT and Greater Derby PCTs, which merged to form Derby City PCT on 1 October 2006.
	Numbers of NHS dentists at PCT and SHA level as at 30 June, 30 September, 31 December 2006 and 31 March 2007 are available in Table El of Annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2006-07" report. Data in this report are available for Derbyshire County PCT.
	This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. A copy of the report is available in the Library and is also available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0607
	The inclusion of dentists on trust-led contracts in the data collection following the 2006 reforms means that data collected since April 2006 cannot be directly compared with data collected under the previous system.
	In both reports, no account is taken of the level of NHS service, if any, that each dentist provides.
	Information on the number of NHS dental practices operating in Derbyshire could only be made available at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a breakdown of the Department's efficiency savings in relation to its Spending Review 2004 (SR04) targets, including  (a) the efficiency projects in the Department,  (b) the date on which they were initiated and  (c) how much each was predicted to contribute to the SR04 target.

Ben Bradshaw: Details of projects contributing to the department's efficiency target for the 2004 Spending Review (SR04) are provided in our Efficiency Technical Note (ETN), published in December 2005, a copy has been placed in the Library and is also available on the department website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4124041
	The ETN sets out the predicted contribution of each of the main groups of projects (workstreams). It also indicates the scale of expected contribution for each project. It does not specifically indicate individual project start dates.
	The ETN makes clear that the efficiency programme would continue to evolve during the delivery period with the inclusion of opportunities identified after 2005, and potential changes in the relative contributions of different workstreams and projects.
	We delayed republishing the ETN pending final agreements with HM Treasury and the National Audit Office regarding a few areas of measurement, which have now been agreed. The updated document is almost complete and will be published prior to our next planned reporting of progress in our autumn performance report in December. We will include your request for project start dates in the update. A copy of the final publication will be placed on the department website and in the Library.

Departments: Older Workers

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Ben Bradshaw: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before the Prorogation.

Departments: Pay

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the salary including bonuses is of the Commercial Director of the Department of Health; and what other benefits he receives as part of his remuneration package.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 23 October 2007
	The Director General, of the Commercial Directorate of the Department receives a salary in the range of £185,000 to £190,000. The Director General will become eligible to be considered for a bonus for the first time in April 2008. Other benefits include a one-off relocation package, and contributions to both accommodation in the United Kingdom and travel to the United States.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the draft of his Department's Policy Costing Handbook dated 7 March, 
	(1)  which policy proposals his Department classed as high risk in each of the last five financial years;
	(2)  for which policy proposals his Department sought formal HM Treasury approval in each of the last five financial years because they have revenue costs above his Department's delegated limits or have been classed as high risk, as referred to in paragraph 33 on page 9.

Ben Bradshaw: The risk classification referred to in the draft Policy Costing Handbook is used internally by the Department's Revenue Investment Branch to prioritise work.
	Since the formation of the Revenue Investment Branch two cases have been specifically referred to HM Treasury for approval; Outsourcing of NHS Logistics and the Pandemic Flu Vaccine.
	A number of other policy proposals above departmental delegated limits have formed part of the Department's comprehensive spending review bid which has now been approved by HM Treasury.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 1867-8W, on Departments: Finance, if he will break down the chapter, Differences from Previous Plans, into  (a) near cash,  (b) non-cash and  (c) capital budget; and what his Department's budget was in (i) the years covered by the 2004 Spending Review and (ii) at the time of the 2006 Budget, broken down into (A) near-cash, (B) non-cash and (C) capital expenditure plans for each year;
	(3)  in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Ben Bradshaw: The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following supplementary estimates, rather than against plans at the start of the year. This is because plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as, machinery of Government and classification changes.
	The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in Public Expenditure Outturn White Papers (PEOWP), which are available in the Library. The paper references are:
	PEOWP 2001-02—CM5574
	PEOWP 2002-03—CM5884
	PEOWP 2003-04—CM6293
	PEOWP 2004-05—CM6639
	PEOWP 2005-06—CM6883
	PEOWP 2006-07—CM7156
	Provisional spending estimates for resource, near-cash, non-cash, capital and administration budgets are published in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA), along with changes to plans arising in-year and the differences between provisional and final outturns. PESA papers are available in the Library. The paper references are:
	PESA 2002—CM4602 to CM4621
	PESA 2003—CM5901
	PESA 2004—CM6201
	PESA 2005—CM6521
	PESA 2006—CM6811
	PESA 2007—CM7091

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many citizens' juries have been arranged by his Department since June 2007; which organisations have been commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the estimated cost is of each exercise.

Ann Keen: The Department has run nine citizens' juries on the future of the national health service. These were organised by Opinion Leader Research. Each event cost £96,547.78, totalling £868,930.02.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Dawn Primarolo: Data from 1997 on the number and cost of citizens' juries undertaken by the Department are not readily available. Supplying the costs and occurrences of citizens' juries would require a substantive investigation into all public engagement programmes undertaken by various divisions within the Department and its arms- length bodies including the national health service at a disproportionate cost. However, we can identify details on two substantial engagement programmes the Department has recently undertaken.
	Firstly the national engagement for the "Our health, our care, our say" White Paper in 2005, for which the cost of the nationally organised listening exercise was £1.39 million. This was funded through the Department's running cost budget. The main element was £1.05 million paid to Opinion Leader Research (OLR) to deliver a major research programme, which included the cost of running a series of regional deliberative events, and a national citizens' summit attended by nearly 1,000 members of the public and a citizens' panel of 10 people. OLR's costs were incurred in the delivery of the service rather than the provision of consultancy.
	Secondly, the Department held a series of citizens' juries informing Lord Darzi's review of the NHS. Again this was a national deliberative event conducted through nine regional events in each strategic health authority outside London. On 18 September 2007 over 1,100 patients, members of the public and NHS staff were involved in the events. The aim of which was to identify the way forward for a 21(st) century NHS which is clinically-driven, patient centred and responsive to local communities. Lord Darzi, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State (Alan Johnson) attended the event in Birmingham and were video linked to each of the other eight events. The main component of this was the nine 18 September events totalling £868,930.02.

Departments: Surveys

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 1560-61W, on Departments: surveys, for what reasons the departmental staff surveys for his Department in 2006 and 2007 are not yet available on the www.civilservice.gov.uk website.

Dawn Primarolo: The departmental staff survey results for 2006 and 2007 can now be found at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/iam/staff_survey.asp
	Unfortunately, due to migration of data on the website, the results did not appear on the earlier civil service website page.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: In the year ending 30 September 2007, we answered 1,615 named day parliamentary questions, of which 1,010, 63 per cent. were answered on the day specified.

Dietary Supplements: Channel Islands

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Food Standards Agency and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency intend to take in relation to the trade in food supplements and herbal remedies from the Channel Islands in the next 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: The Food Standards Agency has written to the governments of Jersey and Guernsey suggesting a collective meeting where the application of the European Commission Food Supplements Directive and the associated implications for trade will be discussed.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has begun discussions about the implementation of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, as part of discussions on the implementation of the Pharmaceutical Directive, with the government of Guernsey and wrote on 28 June 2007 to the government of Jersey to open similar discussions. The discussions with Guernsey are ongoing.

Emergency Services: Telephone Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to establish a single three-digit number for access to urgent care services, as stated on page 27 of his Department's NHS Next Stage Review, published on 4 October 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: This concept of a single three-digit number for access to urgent care services was stated in both Lord Darzi's report "Healthcare for London: A Framework for Action and the NHS Next Stage Review".
	We are considering whether the concept of a single three-digit number for urgent care would help the public in understanding how to access services when they need urgent care. The discussions and findings of the acute clinical pathway groups will inform the direction of this work.
	The aim is that whatever number people ring, it is memorable for them and they can be confident that they will get a rapid and safe assessment of their needs and an appropriate response to meet those needs. We are exploring in the coming weeks how best to achieve this aim.

Eyesight: Testing

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of children under the age of 16 years in  (a) England,  (b) the east of England and  (c) Suffolk have taken up free NHS sight tests.

Ann Keen: 21.8 per cent. of children under the age of 16 years received an national health service sight test in the year ending 31 March 2007.
	Information on children under 16 years will be available at strategic health authority and primary care trust level in the publication "General Ophthalmic Services: Activity Statistics for England and Wales: April 2007-September 2007". This will be published by March 2008.

General Practitioners

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many single-doctor medical practices there were in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Single handed general practitioner (GP) providers( 1)  in England as at 2000-06 
			  England  Number (headcount) 
			 2000 2,662 
			 2001 2,626 
			 2002 2,566 
			 2003 2,578 
			 2004 2,285 
			 2005 2,176 
			 2006 2,222 
			 (1)A single handed GP provider is one who has no partners although may employ a GP Registrar or GP retainer  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 913W, on general practitioners, whether Lord Darzi will examine the  (a) clinical and  (b) access domain in his consideration of the Quality and Outcomes Framework; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The National Health Service Next Stage Review Interim Report announced that there will be a review of primary care and community services to improve access, personalisation, effectiveness, fairness and choice. As indicated in the interim report, this review will address among other issues how to reshape incentives in the contractual arrangements for primary medical care to provide a stronger focus on health outcomes and continuous quality improvements. This is likely to mean looking at all the different domains of the Quality and Outcomes Framework.

General Practitioners: Training

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) England were invited by their primary care trusts to attend courses to update their skills in each year since 2000.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally.
	Post-registration training needs for national health service staff are determined against local NHS priorities, through appraisal processes and training needs analyses informed by local delivery plans and the needs of the service.
	Access to training is affected by a number of factors such as the availability of funding, whether staff can be released, the availability of appropriate training interventions, mentors and assessors.
	As part of the Government's review of regulation, we are proposing to introduce revalidation for all doctors to ensure that their knowledge and skills are up to date.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Animal Feed

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which genetically modified products may be sold in UK markets for animal feed.

Dawn Primarolo: European Commission Regulation 1829/2003 on genetically modified (GM) food and feed controls the marketing of genetically modified organism products across the European Union. Authorisations under this Regulation currently cover animal feed obtained from 12 types of GM maize, 5 types of GM cotton, 3 types of GM oilseed rape, 1 type of GM sugarbeet, 1 type of GM soya and 2 types of GM yeast. The following table gives more detail about these products.
	
		
			  Genetically modified organism  Transformation event  Characteristics 
			 Genetically modified maize Btll Insect resistant and herbicide tolerant 
			  DAS1507 Insect resistant and herbicide tolerant 
			  GA21 Herbicide resistant 
			  MON810 Insect resistant 
			  MON863 Insect resistant 
			  MON863 x NK603 Insect resistant and herbicide tolerant 
			  MON863 x MON810 Insect resistant 
			  NK603 Herbicide tolerant 
			  NK603 x MON810 Insect resistant and herbicide tolerant 
			  T25 Herbicide tolerant 
			  DAS1507 x NK603 Insect resistant and herbicide tolerant 
			  DAS59122 Insect resistant and herbicide tolerant 
			 Genetically modified cotton MON1445 Herbicide tolerant 
			  MON15985 Insect resistant 
			  MON15985 x MON1445 Insect resistant and herbicide tolerant 
			  MON531 Insect resistant 
			  MON531 x MON1445 Insect resistant and herbicide tolerant 
			 Genetically modified oilseed rape GT73 Herbicide tolerant 
			  MS8, RF3, MS8 x RF3 Herbicide tolerant and sterile 
			  T45 Herbicide tolerant 
			 Genetically modified soya MON40-3-2 Herbicide tolerant 
			 Genetically modified sugar beet H7-1 Herbicide tolerant 
			 Genetically modified micro-organisms pCABL-Bacterial biomass Bacterial protein, by-product from the production by fermentation of L-Lysine HCI obtained from (Brevibacterium lactofermentum) the recovered killed micro-organisms. 
			  pMT742 or pAK729-Yeast biomass Product produced from genetically modified yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

Health Education: Alcoholic Drinks

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government spent on alcohol information campaigns in each year since 1997; and how much it plans to spend in the next 12 months.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table sets out the cost of public health information campaigns and publicity on sexual health, teenage pregnancy and alcohol in each year from 1997 to 2005.
	
		
			   Alcohol campaign (£ million) 
			 1997-98 — 
			 1998-99 — 
			 1999-2000 — 
			 2000-01 — 
			 2001-02 — 
			 2002-03 0.097 
			 2003-04 0.045 
			 2004-05 0.342 
			 2005-06 0.064 
			  Note: We only have financial information on alcohol expenditure for the last four years, as data pre-2002-03 were held on an old financial system, which is no longer accessible. 
		
	
	There has been no major campaign expenditure on alcohol consumption in the financial years 1997 to 2005, so costs given relate to literature and website activity only.
	Expenditure for 2006-07 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year 2006-07 
			   £ 
			 Home Office 2,000,000 
			 Department of Health 1,777,000 
			 Total budget 3,777,000 
			  Note: The figures do not include website and distribution at about £4 million, which would be split equally between the two departments. 
		
	
	For the financial year 2007-08, the Department is committed to spending £6 million and the Home Office are allocating £3.5 million of their central marketing budget to alcohol harm reduction.

Health Services

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what central assumptions his Department makes in its projections for planning for demand for health services about current  (a) mean and  (b) median (i) fertility, (ii) average age at marriage and (iii) marriage rates of each gender.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not make assumptions on these issues. However, according to the Office for National Statistics assumptions of fertility rates are required for national population projections. The most recent national population projections, based on the population at the middle of 2006, were published on 23 October 2007. Details of the central fertility assumptions for the United Kingdom and its constituent countries are available at:
	www.gad.gov.uk/Demography_Data/Population/2006/methodology/fertass.asp
	Projections of the population by legal marital status are only produced at England and Wales level. The most recent population projections by marital status are based on the population at the middle of 2003 and were published in March 2005. Details of the marriage rate assumptions are available at:
	www.gad.gov.uk/Demography_Data/Marital_status_projections/2003/marriage_assumptions.asp

Health Services: Elderly

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to increase accessibility of health care services to senior citizens since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: In March 2001, the Department published the "National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People's Services". The NSF is at the centre of the Government's response to meeting the health and social care needs of an ageing population in England. Standard one of the NSF stated that, national health services will be provided, regardless of age, on the basis of clinical need alone. Social care services will not use age in their eligibility criteria or policies, to restrict access to available services.
	Good progress has already been made with increased access to health services for old-age related conditions such as stroke, scanning for risk of fractures, hip, knee and cataract surgery. Mechanisms are in place also to ensure that services for older people continue to improve. These include work force development, information technology to implement electronic personal care records, independent inspection of health, social care and council services, the publication of evidence based guidelines, further research and local champions committed to improving the health and care of older people.
	This year the Department published "A Recipe for Care not A Single Ingredient". This reinforced the need for specialist services for older people, as outlined in the NSF, and focused on bringing care closer to home and reducing the need for acute hospital care whenever needed.
	The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) was introduced in 2004 as part of the General Medical Services contract. Many of the clinical areas within the QOF cover areas which impact on older patients.

Hospitals: Admissions

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency readmissions to hospitals there were within 28 days of discharge in each year since 1997; and what percentage this figure represents of all live discharges.

Ben Bradshaw: Currently the best computations of readmission rates are those released by the National Centre for Health Outcomes Development (NCHOD). Hospital Episode Statistics data is used in the derivation of these readmission rates, and are published on the NCHOD website at www.nchod.nhs.uk. There are eight years data from 1998-99 to 2005-06 at primary care trust level and trust level, for the age groups 0-15, 16-74 and 75 and over. These published data are indirectly standardised rates and exclude discharges for those coded as death, day cases, maternity spells, mental health specialties and those with a mention of cancer or chemotherapy for cancer anywhere in the spell. Full definitions are on the NCHOD website. Other analyses from this source could only be produced at disproportionate cost.

Hospitals: Finance

Neil Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the results of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation's report on funding formulas will be incorporated into the market forces factor for acute hospital trust payments and formula funding for primary care trusts;
	(2)  whether he has received the report from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation in respect of  (a) market forces factor and  (b) formula for allocating primary care trust funding.

Ben Bradshaw: Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) is reviewing the weighted capitation formula in support of the revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) post 2007-08. This review covers the market forces factor.
	ACRA's work is ongoing, but once it is complete, ACRA will make recommendations to Ministers on proposed formula changes. Ministers will need to give due consideration to any proposed changes to the formula, as recommended by ACRA.
	The date for announcing revenue allocations to PCTs post 2007-08 has not yet been determined. Documentation supporting the announcement will be published as soon as practically possible after the allocation announcement has been made.
	In relation to payment by results, no decision has been made as to when the results of the ACRA's report will be incorporated into the market forces factor adjustments for acute trusts under the payment by results system. The national tariff for 2008-09 will use the current market forces factor.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times were for  (a) heart and  (b) cancer operations in Bolsover constituency in each year since 2000-01.

Ann Keen: The information is not held centrally in the format requested.
	For the area now served by Derbyshire county PCT median waiting times for cardiothoracic surgery and cardiology are as follows:
	
		
			   Median waiting time in weeks 
			  Quarter ending  Cardiothoracic surgery  Cardiology 
			 June 2002 13.2 11.7 
			 March 2003 10.3 11.6 
			 March 2004 8.4 8.5 
			 March 2005 5.0 7.8 
			 March 2006 5.7 4.5 
			 March 2007 4 4.3 
			 June 2007 3.5 4.5 
			  Note:  PCTs came into being from the April 2002  Source:  Department of Health QF01 
		
	
	Figures for March 2006 and earlier are based on the waiting lists of the following PCTs being combined together: (pre merger) Amber Valley, Chesterfield, Erewash, Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire High Peak and Dales, North East Derbyshire and Erewash.
	Figures for waiting time, in weeks, from referral to treatment for all cancers at the two acute trusts in Derbyshire are as follows:
	
		
			  Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (previously Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital NHS Trust) 
			  As at  June  31 weeks or less  32 to 38  39 to 48  49 to 62  63 to 76  77 to 90  91 to 104  105+ 
			 2007 40 13 11 22 0 0 0 0 
			 2006 51.5 23 14 21.5 1.5 0.5 0 0 
			 2005 25 16 14 17 2 0 2 1 
			 2004 32 12 6 10 2 1 1 4 
		
	
	
		
			  Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
			  As at June  31 weeks or less  32 to 38  39 to 48  49 to 62  63 to 76  77 to 90  91 to 104  105+ 
			 2007 94.5 30.5 53 64 4.5 2 0 0.5 
			 2006 96 30 40 55.5 5.5 9.5 3 7.5 
			 2005 91 26 19 29 15 12 4 14 
			 2004 67 23 26 22 13 15 8 25 
			  Notes:  From Q2 2005-06 onwards there has been a change in the way the referral to treatment figures are calculated at trust level. Where two national health service organisations (Cancer Unit and Cancer Centre) are involved in the care of the patient this is taken into account by recording half the activity against the unit that initially sees the patient and half against the centre that provides the first definitive treatment. In the past all the activity was recorded against the centre that provided the first definitive treatment. This change means that figures for trusts on referral to treatment in Q1 2005-06 are not comparable with Q3 2005-06 figures. However the national figures are still comparable.  Source:  DH Cancer Waiting Times Statistics

Infectious Diseases: North East Region

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many healthcare-acquired infections there were in  (a) the North East,  (b) the Tees Valley and  (c) the area corresponding as closely as possible to Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format required.
	Mandatory surveillance of meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infections commenced in April 2001, for Clostridium difficile in January 2004 and for glycopeptide-resistant enrterococci (GRE) in October 2003 for acute NHS Trusts in England.
	Data have been extracted from the Health Protection Agencies report on regional and national analyses of the Mandatory Bacteraemia Surveillance Scheme for National Health Service Trusts in the North East. This can be found in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of C. difficile reports for patients  >  65 years 
			January-Decembe r 
			  Region  Name of NHS Trust  2004  200 5  200 6 
			 North East City Hospitals Sunderland 383 436 291 
			 North East County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals 291 531 464 
			 North East Gateshead Health 197 207 169 
			 North East North Tees and Hartlepool 157 251 371 
			 North East Northumbria Health Care 367 378 507 
			 North East South Tees Hospitals 316 476 563 
			 North East South Tyneside 238 156 103 
			 North East The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals 370 365 497 
			 Total  2,319 2,800 2,965 
		
	
	
		
			  MRSA bacteraemia reports 
			   April-March 
			  Name of NHS Trust  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 City Hospitals Sunderland 41 47 56 47 47 49 
			 Count Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals 30 40 38 47 36 64 
			 Gateshead Health 11 20 36 16 28 31 
			 North Tees and Hartlepool 21 19 15 13 30 36 
			 Northumbria Health Care 45 74 67 66 78 52 
			 South Tees Hospitals 120 96 69 67 76 57 
			 South Tyneside 7 13 15 14 18 6 
			 The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals 88 71 93 90 65 74 
			 Total 363 380 389 360 378 369 
		
	
	
		
			  GRE bacteraemia reports 
			October-September 
			  Region  Name of NHS Trust  03-04  04-05  05-06 
			 North East City Hospitals Sunderland 0 0 0 
			 North East County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals 0 1 0 
			 North East Gateshead Health 0 0 0 
			 North East North Tees and Hartlepool 0 1 0 
			 North East Northumbria Health Care 0 0 1 
			 North East South Tees Hospitals 1 0 2 
			 North East South Tyneside 0 0 0 
			 North East The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals 2 2 7 
			 Total  3 4 10

Influenza: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many free influenza vaccines are available for use; how many will be available for use by  (a) November and  (b) December 2007 in each London (i) constituency and (ii) primary care trust area; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested on the amounts of vaccine ordered within London is not held centrally in the Department. Sixteen million doses of influenza vaccine have been manufactured for the United Kingdom market this season, of which just under 14 million have already been distributed. The remainder of the vaccine will be delivered during November, or when it is requested by general practitioners.

Influenza: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners received a free influenza vaccine in each  (a) London constituency and  (b) London primary care trust area in each year since 1997; what percentage each figure represents of those eligible in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not held in the format requested. Flu vaccine uptake data were collected for the first time on those aged 65 and over from 2000. Data is not collected by constituency.
	The percentage of those aged 65 and over who received a flu vaccine in each London primary care trust for which data has been placed in the Library.

Maidstone NHS Trust: Managers

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) of 19 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1392W, on Maidstone NHS Trust: managers, what legal advice his Department has received on the severance payment to the former Chief Executive of the Maidstone NHS Trust.

Ann Keen: Full legal advice is still being obtained.

Malnutrition

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) males and  (b) females who are underweight; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Latest data taken from the Health Survey for England 2005, shows that in England, in 2005, 1.5 per cent. of males and 1.7 per cent. of females aged 16 and over were classified as being underweight, Body Mass Index of under 18.5. This information can also be found in the "Health Survey for England—updating of trend tables to include 2005 data", a copy has been placed in the Library and is also available at: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse05trends.

Malnutrition: Admissions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people  (a) were admitted to and  (b) discharged from hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of (i) malnutrition and (ii) nutritional anaemias in each year since 1997-98.

Ben Bradshaw: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before the Prorogation.

Maternity Services: Manchester

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the evidence supporting his Statement of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 569, that between 30 and 40 babies' lives per year would be saved by the reconfiguration of maternity services in Greater Manchester.

Ann Keen: The quote referred to during the statement on 15 October 2007 was made by a Consultant Neonatologist and Lead Clinician for the Greater Manchester Neonatal Network and was included in press releases by both the North West Strategic Health Authority and the Ashton, Wigan and Leigh Primary Care Trust on 24 August 2007 following the announcement of the decision on the "Making It Better and Healthy Futures" consultations. A copy of both press releases has been placed in the Library.

Mental Health Services: Voluntary Organisations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which the voluntary sector is involved in mental health treatment.

Ivan Lewis: No formal assessment has been made of the extent to which the voluntary sector is involved in mental health treatment. However, the 2006 'Count Me In' census showed that 11 per cent. of all mental health in-patients were receiving services from independent providers, which includes both voluntary and private sectors.
	The voluntary sector has played, and will continue to play a positive role in both shaping policy and delivering services, including some treatments, to people with mental health problems.

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: Hospitals

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government have taken to reduce levels of MRSA in hospitals since 1997.

Ann Keen: The key steps which the Department has taken since 1997 aimed at reducing levels of methicillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA):
	introduction of mandatory MRSA surveillance: (April 2001, enhanced in October 2005);
	"Winning Ways", (December 2003), which provided a focus for the local national health service on actions that would curb proliferation of antibiotic resistant organisms;
	"Towards Cleaner Hospitals", (July 2004), which summarised effective initiatives and set out an action plan requiring trusts to publish infection rates;
	launch of the national MRSA target, in November 2004, to reduce the number of bloodstream infections by half, by April 2008;
	the National Patient Agency's "Cleanyourhands" campaign (September 2004);
	establishing the Department's MRSA/Cleaner Hospitals programme Team (2005), in order to deliver the target and to improve confidence that services are clean and safe;
	introduction of an expert "improvement team" to offer targeted support to trusts facing challenges with MRSA rates, (the team will double in size this year);
	the Saving Lives, toolkit approach to best practice guidance for reducing MRSA, (June 2005; revised and re-issued June 2007);
	Health Act 2006 "Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections" (October 2006);
	"MRSA screening guidance", (November 2006);
	£50 million made available this year, for strategic health authorities' Directors of Nursing to spend on tackling all health care associated infections;
	the "Better Care for All PSA Delivery Agreement", sets a targets for the period to 2010-11, to keep MRSA bloodstream infections below half the numbers in 2003-04; and
	recent announcements (September 2007) about; increased use isolation facilities, introduction of a "bare below the elbows" dress code, and matrons'/clinicians' reporting infection control issues to trust boards on a quarterly basis, a new legal requirement being placed on chief executives to report all MRSA bacteraemias to the Health Protection Agency, and every hospital undertaking a deep clean as part of a wider drive for a culture of cleanliness.
	In addition, we will progress initiatives stemming from the NHS Next Stage Review relating to; tough powers for the new health and adult social care regulator, annual infection control inspections for acute trusts, MRSA screening for all elective admissions next year and for all emergency admissions as soon as practicable in next three years, potential use of rewards and penalties within the commissioning process, and the empowerment of matrons/local staff to report hygiene concerns to the new regulator.

Midwives: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives were employed in each London primary care trust in each year since 1997; how many vacancies for midwives there were in each trust in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information on the number of midwives employed in each London Primary Care Trust is not held in the format requested. The following tables provide the number of qualified nurses, midwifery and health visiting staff employed in all London national health service organisations since 1997.
	Furthermore, vacancy data have only been collected since 1999. The available information has been placed in the Library and shows the number of midwife vacancies and the number of midwifes employed at all London NHS organisations since 1999.

Midwives: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio was of midwives to live births in each strategic health authority for each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The ratios of midwives per 100 live births in each strategic health authority (SHA), for each year since 1997, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 England 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.9 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.8 
			
			 North East SHA 4.2 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.9 4.7 4.5 4.6 4.5 4.4 
			 North West SHA 5.0 5.0 5.2 5.2 5.0 5.1 4.9 5.0 4.8 4.7 
			 Yorks and the Humber SHA 4.0 4.0 3.8 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.1 4.2 4.2 3.9 
			 East Midlands SHA 2.9 3.1 3.3 3.4 4.0 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.4 
			 West Midlands SHA 3.9 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.1 
			 East of England SHA 3.0 2.8 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.6 3.5 
			 London SHA 3.2 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.6 
			 South East SHA 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.3 3.5 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.6 
			 South Central SHA 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.7 3.9 4.0 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.1 
			 South West SHA 4.2 4.4 4.6 4.8 4.9 4.8 4.6 4.7 4.6 4.3 
			  Notes: 1. Birth registrations 1997 to 2006 as at 31 December each specified year. 2. More accurate validation processes in 2006 have resulted in the identification and removal of 9,858 duplicate non-medical staff records out of the total work force figure of 1.3 million in 2006. Earlier years' figures could not be accurately validated in this way and so will be slightly inflated. The level of inflation in earlier years' figures is estimated to be less than 1 per cent. of total across all non-medical staff groups for headcount figures (and negligible for full-time equivalents). This should be taken into consideration when analysing trends over time. 3. SHA totals 1997 to 2005 have been calculated using previous health authority (HA)/SHA configurations. HAs were reconfigured to become the 28 SHAs in 2002 and were subsequently reconfigured in to 10 SHAs in 2006. Due to overlaps in the HA/SHA reconfigurations, parts of West Pennine HA and North Derbyshire HA were split over Trent SHA and Greater Manchester SHA. These figures were included in the Trent SHA total to give the figure for the new East Midlands SHA.  Sources: 1. The Information for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. 2. Office for National Statistics Birth Registrations 1997 to 2006.

Neurology: Manpower

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are  (a) national,  (b) regional and  (c) local targets for the number of (i) adult neurologists, (ii) paediatric neurologists, (iii) learning disability specialist and (iv) neuro-radiologist consultants in post; and whether any such targets have been set for the ratio of specialists to patients.

Ben Bradshaw: No national or regional targets have been set for these staff groups and there are no targets for the ratio of these specialists to patients. We have no information on local targets, that is a matter for primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.
	We are moving away from an emphasis on centrally prescribed national targets to a reliance on credible local plans to maximise work force capacity to support delivery.
	Although we have moved away from setting national targets, we are continuing to ensure the frameworks are in place to enable effective local workforce planning.
	There has been an increase of 11,310 (53 per cent.) medical specialists in neurological conditions since 1997.

NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement: Operating Costs

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual running costs were of the Institute in each year since its introduction; how many full-time employees the Institute has; what assessment he has made of its effectiveness; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The annual running costs of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement in each year since its introduction have been: 2005-06—£42,406,000 (actual revenue), 2006-07—£53,014,000 (actual revenue) and 2007-08—£74,281,000 (forecast revenue funding).
	The NHS Institute has 152 full time employees.
	The NHS Institute is a relatively new organisation, having only been in existence for two years. To date it has identified a potential £2.2 billion productivity gain of which £360 million has already been realised with the aid of tools and techniques developed by it.

NHS Next Stage Review

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 8 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 672-3W, on NHS Next Stage Review, what the  (a) names,  (b) titles and  (c) qualifications are of the members of each clinical pathway group to inform the work of the NHS Next Stage Review.

Ann Keen: Each strategic health authority (SHA) is responsible for establishing eight local clinical pathway groups. Lists of members and their qualifications should be sought directly from the SHAs themselves.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1004W, on the NHS: ICT, if he will place in the Library the annual benefits report for the National Programme for IT; when the results of the annual survey of NHS information management and technology expenditure will be made available; and when the evidence-based development plans will be made available.

Ben Bradshaw: A commitment to publish an annual statement outlining the costs and benefits of the national programme was made in the Department's response to the Public Accounts Committee report on the matter. A copy will be placed in the Library.
	Full results and analysis from the 2006 survey of NHS information management and technology expenditure were published in January 2007. Information from the 2007 survey is expected to be published in January 2008.
	Consultation on proposals for various measures to improve the capability and capacity of the national health service to deliver information technology-enabled change is continuing to take place over the next few months. We intend to publish substantive plans arising from the consultation in the spring of next year.

NHS: Redundancy Pay

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will institute a reassessment of policy in the NHS on severance packages.

Ben Bradshaw: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before the Prorogation.

NHS: Reorganisation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which  (a) hospitals,  (b) parliamentary constituencies and  (c) other NHS sites have been visited by Lord Darzi for the purposes of conducting his review of the NHS.

Ann Keen: Lord Darzi has visited the following national health service sites:
	
		
			  Site visited  Parliamentary constituency 
			 York Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (FT) City of York 
			 NHS Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority (SHA) Leeds, Central 
			 Meltham Road Surgery, Huddersfield Colne Valley 
			 NHS North East SHA Newcastle upon Tyne, North 
			 Bunny Hill Primary Care Centre, Sunderland Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) Sunderland, North 
			 Gateshead Healthcare NHS FT Gateshead, East and Washington, West 
			 NHS North West SHA Manchester, Central 
			 Alexandra Group Medical Practice, Oldham Oldham, East and Saddleworth 
			 University Hospital of South Manchester NHS FT Wythenshawe and Sale, East 
			 Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospitals NHS FT North West Hampshire 
			 Abingdon Community Hospital Marcham Road general practitioner Practice Oxford, West and Abingdon 
			 Derby Royal Infirmary Derby, South 
			 Tiverton District Hospital Tiverton and Honiton 
			 Royal Devon and Exeter NHS FT Exeter 
			 Conquest Hospital, Hastings Ore Clinic, Hastings Hastings and Rye 
			 West View Hospital, Tenterden Ashford 
			 NHS West Midlands SHA Karis Medical Centre, Birmingham Birmingham, Edgbaston 
			 City Hospital, Birmingham Birmingham, Ladywood 
			 Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow Harlow 
			 St. Margaret's Hospital, Epping Epping Forest 
			 Tiverton District Hospital Tiverton and Honiton 
			 Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust Exeter

NHS: Reorganisation

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which 250 stakeholder groups were met by Lord Darzi as part of the Our NHS Our Future exercise.

Ann Keen: The information that has been requested has been placed in the Library.

NHS: Standards

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of NHS organisations met core standard C15b of the Standards for Better Healthcare in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07; and which NHS organisations did not meet core standard C15b in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: The number and percentage of organisations meeting core standard C15b was:
	for 2005-06, 514 trusts (95 per cent.)
	for 2006-07, 370 trusts (97 per cent.)
	The following 26 organisations were non compliant with core standard C15b in 2005-06:
	Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
	Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust
	Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
	Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Trust
	Swindon Primary Care Trust
	Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust
	Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
	Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust
	East Kent NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust
	Mersey Care NHS Trust
	East Sussex County Healthcare NHS Trust
	South East Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust
	Swale Primary Care Trust
	Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust
	Waltham Forest Primary Care Trust
	The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust
	Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust
	Barts and The London NHS Trust
	South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust
	Barking and Dagenham Primary Care Trust
	Dacorum Primary Care Trust
	Oldbury and Smethwick Primary Care Trust
	Rowley Regis and Tipton Primary Care Trust
	Wednesbury and West Bromwich Primary Care Trust
	The following 12 organisations were non compliant with core standard C15b in 2006-07:
	Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust
	Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
	Tameside and Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust
	Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust
	Swindon Primary Care Trust
	James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
	St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust
	Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
	East and North Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust
	Leicester City Primary Care Trust
	West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust

Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust: Finance

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust received in 2006-07; and what that funding would have been had the national capitation formula been met in full.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the revenue allocation made to Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust (PCT) for 2006-07 together with its target allocation for 2006-07.
	
		
			  £000 
			  PCT name  2006-07 actual allocation  2006-07 target allocation 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 730,405 768,750

Nurses: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses were employed in each London primary care trust area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not held in the format requested. Primary care trusts' figures are only available from 2002, and figures are not broken down for individual health-related professions. Tables have been placed in the Library which provide the number of qualified nurses, midwifery and health visiting staff employed in all London national health service organisations since 1997.

Obesity

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the total cost to industry of illness, inactivity and premature death associated with overweight and obesity; what discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have had with ministerial colleagues on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Foresight report, Tackling Obesities: Future Choices, published on 17 October 2007, says that the economic implications of obesity are substantial. A copy of the report is available in the Library. By 2050, without action, a seven-fold increase in the direct healthcare costs of overweight and obesity is anticipated, with wider costs to society and business reaching £45.5 billion (at today's prices).
	The Secretary of State for Health made a statement in the House on 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 825, where he announced the development of a comprehensive cross Government strategy on obesity, to respond to the evidence in the Foresight Report. Because of the need for concerted action on a number of fronts, he will convene a cross- governmental ministerial group to guide our approach.
	Officials in the former Department of Trade and Industry worked closely with officials in this Department throughout the Foresight Obesity Project. Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform continue to work with the Department on issues of the appropriateness of regulatory reform in combating obesity.

Obesity

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his most recent estimate is of the  (a) obesity and  (b) smoking rate among (i) males and (ii) females in (A) Southend, (B) each borough in Essex, (C) each borough in Kent, (D) the Metropolitan Police area of London and (E) England and Wales, broken down by age group.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the exact format requested. Data on prevalence of obesity by gender and age among adults aged 16 and over, in England in 2005, is available from the "Health Survey for England" 2005 and is presented in table 1.
	Data on the percentage of adults aged 16 and over who smoke by gender and age, for England are available from the 2005 "General Household Survey". This information is presented in table 2.
	Information on smoking and obesity for Wales is available from the Welsh Health Survey 2005-06, available in tables 10 and 16 at:
	http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/headlines/health-2007/hdw20070830/?lang=en
	Smoking and obesity rates in Southend, each borough in Essex, each borough in Kent and the Metropolitan Police area of London are not available. However, estimated prevalence of obesity and smoking among adults aged 16 and over, along with associated confidence intervals are provided for the wards in Southend on Sea local authority, Kent, Essex, Inner London and Outer London. These estimates are taken from the Synthetic Estimates of Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours. Estimates are for the combined years 2000-02 and are shown in tables 3 and 4. These estimates are not available by age group or gender. Synthetic estimates are also published on the Neighbourhood Statistics website, available at:
	http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/Downloadl.do
	
		
			  Table 1:Prevalence of obesity among adults, by age and gender, 2005( 1) —England 
			  Percentage 
			   All ages  16-24  25-34  35-44  45-54  55-64  65-74  75+ 
			 Men 22.1 7.6 16.6 27.4 28.3 28.5 27.6 16.9 
			 Women 24.3 12.4 18.9 25.3 28.1 28.1 33.9 25.8 
			  
			  Bases (unweighted) 
			 Men 2,930 367 463 505 531 501 355 208 
			 Women 3,409 385 531 668 614 588 364 259 
			  
			  Bases (weighted) 
			 Men 3,144 491 552 620 521 462 311 187 
			 Women 3,184 432 524 628 517 489 322 272 
			 (1) Data are weighted for non-response  Source: Health Survey for England 2005—updating of trend tables to include 2005 data. The Information Centre 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults( 1) , by age and gender, 2005( 2) —England 
			  Percentage 
			   All ages  16-19  20-24  25-34  35-49  50-59  60 and over 
			 Men 25 23 34 33 29 25 14 
			 Women 22 27 29 29 25 23 13 
			 
			  Bases (unweighted)
			 Men 8,663 449 502 1,367 2,341 7,509 2,495 
			 Women 9,950 447 650 1,590 2,777 1,618 2,868 
			 
			  Bases (weighted 000s)
			 Men 16,834 993 1,186 2,843 4,559 2,859 4,394 
			 Women 19,102 947 1,421 3,105 5,311 3,038 5,281 
			 (1) Aged 16 and over. (2) 2005 data includes last quarter of 2004-05 data due to survey change from financial year to calendar year.  Source: General Household Survey 2005. Office for National Statistics

Obesity: Children

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of children who were classified as  (a) overweight and  (b) obese in (i) Southend, (ii) each borough in Essex, (iii) each borough in Kent, (iv) the Metropolitan Police area of London and (v) England in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by age group.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the exact format requested. Information on the percentage of overweight and obese children is available from the "Health Survey for England" (HSE).
	Table 1 shows overweight and obesity prevalence among children aged two to 10, 11 to 15 and two to 15, in England for the years 2000 to 2005.
	Table 2 shows obesity and overweight (including obesity) prevalence among children by age group, for England, for the years 2002 to 2004 combined. Three years of data are combine due to small sample sizes.
	Table 3 shows overweight and obesity prevalence among children aged two to 10, 11 to 15 and two to 15, by Government office region for the years 2002 to 2004 combined. Three years of data are combined due to small sample sizes.
	Information for Southend, boroughs in Essex and Kent and the Metropolitan police area of London is not available.
	
		
			  Table 1 :  Overweight and obesity prevalence among children, by gender, 2000 to 2005—England 
			  Percentage 
			  Unweighted( 1)  Weighted 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2003  2004  2005 
			  Boys  
			 2-10  
			 Overweight 13.6 15.6 13.3 14.7 14.2 16.5 14.6 14.6 16.1 
			 Obese 12.2 13.5 15.2 14.9 16.2 16.6 15.1 15.9 16.9 
			   
			 11-15  
			 Overweight 10.0 14.1 14.4 14.4 12.8 14.8 14.5 12.8 15.0 
			 Obese 18.8 18.8 19.8 20.4 23.7 20.5 20.0 24.2 20.4 
			   
			 2-15  
			 Overweight 12.4 15.0 13.7 14.6 13.7 15.9 14.6 13.9 15.7 
			 Obese 14.5 15.5 16.9 17.0 18.9 18.0 17.0 19.2 18.3 
			  Girls  
			 2-10  
			 Overweight 11.6 14.0 13.1 13.4 14.2 12.2 13.4 14.8 12.2 
			 Obese 11.8 12.7 15.8 12.5 11.9 16.7 12.4 12.8 16.8 
			   
			 11-15  
			 Overweight 14.4 17.5 15.1 16.0 19.4 14.0 16.4 19.3 14.1 
			 Obese 18.1 17.7 19.2 21.9 26.2 20.6 22.1 26.7 20.8 
			   
			 2-15  
			 Overweight 12.7 15.2 13.9 14.4 16.3 12.8 14.6 16.6 12.9 
			 Obese 14.2 14.5 17.1 16.1 17.8 18.1 16.1 18.5 18.3 
			   
			  Bases (weighted)  
			 Boys  
			 2-10 570 1,035 2,364 876 416 695 878 379 664 
			 11-15 306 618 1,381 533 230 382 574 245 438 
			 2-15 877 1,653 3,745 1,410 645 1,077 1,452 624 1,102 
			   
			 Girls  
			 2-10 523 1,094 2,290 897 343 724 858 346 674 
			 11-15 318 605 1,346 547 236 411 535 235 417 
			 2-15 841 1,699 3,636 1,444 579 1,135 1,393 581 1,091 
			 (1 )From 2003 data were also weighted for non response. Data weighted for child selection only are provided for consistency with previous years.  Source: Health Survey for England: Updating of trend tables to include 2005 data. The Information Centre. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Overweight and obesity prevalence among children, by age, 2002-04( 1) —England 
			   Percentage 
			  Aged 2-3  
			 Obese 11.6 
			 Overweight including obese 25.2 
			   
			  Aged 4-5  
			 Obese 12.8 
			 Overweight including obese 27.2 
			   
			  Aged 6-7  
			 Obese 13.5 
			 Overweight including obese 26.7 
			   
			  Aged 8-10  
			 Obese 18.7 
			 Overweight including obese 31.8 
			   
			  Aged 11-12  
			 Obese 22.0 
			 Overweight including obese 37.6 
			   
			  Aged 13-15  
			 Obese 19.5 
			 Overweight including obese 34.1 
			  Bases (unweighted)(2)  
			 Aged 2-3 1,130 
			 Aged 4-5 1,410 
			 Aged 6-7 1,559 
			 Aged 8-10 2,360 
			 Aged 11-12 1,616 
			 Aged 13-15 2,361 
			   
			  Bases (weighted for selection only)( 3)  
			 Aged 2-3 1,232 
			 Aged 4-5 1,552 
			 Aged 6-7 1,757 
			 Aged 8-10 2,645 
			 Aged 11-12 1,767 
			 Aged 13-15 2,505 
			 (1) Data are aggregated over the three years, 2002, 2003 and 2004 to achieve a sufficiently large sample for analyse at this level (2) Unweighted figures are raw unadjusted figures (3) Weighted figures are adjusted for child selection only and not non-response  Sources: Health Survey for England 2002. The Department of Health Health Survey for England 2003. The Department of Health Health Survey for England 2004. The Information Centre 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Overweight and obesity prevalence among children by Government office region (GOR) and age, 2002-04( 1) —England 
			  Percentage 
			   North East  North West  Yorkshire and Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands  East England  London  South East  South West 
			  Aged 2-10  
			 Overweight 13.8 12.9 15.4 16.4 14.1 12.9 12.3 12.5 12.8 
			 Obese 16.4 14.4 13.6 14.8 17.4 13.4 18.8 13.9 12.7 
			   
			  Aged 11-15  
			 Overweight 13.7 14.8 15.3 11.9 13.1 13.7 17.0 17.1 16.1 
			 Obese 24.0 20.8 20.0 20.2 24.3 18.7 22.5 18.1 18.3 
			   
			  Aged 2-15  
			 Overweight 13.8 13.6 15.4 14.7 13.8 13.2 14.1 14.2 14.0 
			 Obese 19.5 16.8 15.8 16.9 19.9 15.3 20.1 15.4 14.8 
			   
			  Bases (unweighted)( 2)  
			 Aged 2-10 372 891 700 588 682 743 791 1,041 651 
			 Aged 11-15 250 584 406 366 417 436 470 636 412 
			 Aged 2-15 622 1,475 1,106 954 1,099 1,179 1,261 1,677 1,063 
			   
			  Bases (weighted for selection only)( 3)  
			 Aged 2-10 399 1,021 780 641 768 808 881 1,162 725 
			 Aged 11-15 273 634 424 395 447 462 517 682 438 
			 Aged 2-15 673 1,655 1,204 1,036 1,216 1,271 1,398 1,844 1,163 
			 (1) Data aggregated over the three years, 2002, 2003, and 2004 to achieve a sufficiently large sample for analysis at this level (2) Unweighted figures are raw unadjusted figures (3) Weighted figures are adjusted for child selection only and not non-response  Sources: Health Survey for England 2002. The Department of Health Health Survey for England 2003. The Department of Health Health Survey for England 2004. The Information Centre

Paramedical Staff: Training

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paramedics are in training in each strategic health authority area in England; and what the numbers were in 2005.

Ann Keen: Information on the numbers of paramedics in training is not held centrally. However the following table shows the number of qualified paramedics since 1997 has increased by 1,782 or 27 per cent.
	
		
			  England as at 30 September each year 
			  headcount 
			   Paramedics 
			 1997 6,440 
			 1998 6,526 
			 1999 6,498 
			 2000 6,790 
			 2001 7,075 
			 2002 7,147 
			 2003 7,241 
			 2004 7,536 
			 2005 8,311 
			 2006(1) 8,222 
			 (1).More accurate validation in 2006 has resulted in 9,858 duplicate records being identified and removed from the non-medical census.. (These 9,858 duplicate records, broken down by main staff group, are: 3,370 qualified nurses; 1,818 qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff; 2,719 support to doctors and nurses; 1,562 NHS infrastructure support; and 389 in other areas.) The impact of duplicates on FTE has been minimal with the removal of 507.  Source: Non Med Census

Patients: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 1883-4W, on patients: nutrition, in what ways the National Patient Safety Agency is actively promoting the comprehensive screening of patients on admission to hospital; and what expenditure the National Patient Safety Agency  (a) committed to this purpose in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and  (b) has committed in 2007-08.

Ann Keen: The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) have been actively promoting the screening of patients on admission to hospital.
	Between January and April 2007, the NPSA hosted two workshops for frontline staff from 10 acute national health service trusts in England. The aim of these workshops was to identify the barriers to nutritional screening in hospitals. The Agency has also asked patients for their views on nutritional care in hospitals.
	The NPSA actively supported and promoted the British Association of Parental and Enteral Nutrition nutritional screening week which took place on 25-27 September 2007. They are currently working with the Royal College of Nursing on their Nutrition Now campaign.
	The NPSA are also currently involved in the development of the Department's Nutritional Action Plan which is due to be released shortly.
	
		
			  Committed expenditure 
			   Amount (£) 
			 2006-07 28,240 
			 2007-08 22,240 
			  Notes: 1. The figures include pay and non-pay costs for NPSA staff members working on this project. 2. Overheads have been absorbed into the pay cost. In financial year 2005-06 staff were not in post and therefore no specific funds were allocated to this work.

Patients: Nutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 1882-4W, on patients: nutrition, what the count of bed days was for finished episodes where the  (a) primary and  (b) secondary diagnosis was nutritional anaemias in each year since 1997-98.

Ben Bradshaw: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before the Prorogation

Patients: Wales

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many completed patient episodes relating to patients from Wales took place in primary care trusts in  (a) North West England and  (b) the West Midlands region of the NHS in each of the last three years for which records are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The requested information has been placed in the Library.

Prescriptions: Fraud

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many penalty charges on those wrongfully claiming free prescriptions in accordance with the Health Act 1999 were served in each year since that Act came into force;
	(2)  how many checks on free prescription claims were made by the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service in each year since the Health Act 1999 came into force.

Ann Keen: From August 2001 to March 2003, the Prescription Pricing Authority undertook prescription penalty charge functions as per the provisions of the Health Act 1999.
	From April 2003 to March 2005, the National Health Service Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) undertook these functions.
	From April 2005 these functions were devolved to primary care trusts with the CFSMS providing a central support process to facilitate verification checks.
	The numbers of checks and penalties are provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Checks  Penalties 
			 August 2001 to March 2005 1,600,000 160,000 
			 2005-06 133,857 21,837 
			 2006-07 152,074 25,029 
			  Note: Data for the period August 2001 to March 2005 is not available by year.

Primary Care Trusts: Finance

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) weighted capitation targets and  (b) recurrent baselines were for each primary care trust budget in each of the last five financial years; what the difference was between the largest and the smallest baseline in each year; and what the targets and recurrent baselines are for the next five financial years for which indicative budgets have been set.

Ben Bradshaw: Weighted capitation targets and allocations for the 303 primary care trusts (PCTs) in existence when the Department announced these allocations are shown in table 4.2 of 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 PCT initial revenue resource limits exposition book which is available in the Library and at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Organisationpolicy/Financeandplanning/Allocations/DH_4000344
	and in table 3.2 of "2006-07 and 2007-08 PCT initial revenue resource limits exposition book" which is available in the Library and at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Organisationpolicy/Financeandplanning/Allocations/DH_4104471.
	The difference between a PCTs weighted capitation target and a PCTs allocation gives its closing distance from target (DFT). If a PCTs weighted capitation target is greater than its allocation a PCT is under target. If a PCTs weighted capitation target is smaller than its allocation, a PCT is over target. The following table shows the largest closing percentage DFTs for the most under and over target PCTs between 2003-04 and 2007-08.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Closing DFT of most under target PCT  Closing DFT of most over target PCT 
			 2003-04 -20.2 31.1 
			 2004-05 -18.2 30.5 
			 2005-06 -16.2 29.9 
			 2006-07 -8.2 16.0 
			 2007-08 -3.5 15.3 
		
	
	The Department is still determining weighted capitation targets and allocations for 2008-09 to 2010-11 following the 2007 comprehensive spending review. The Department will not determine allocations for 2011-12 and 2012-13 until after the next spending review.

Radiotherapy: Lincolnshire

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS linear accelerators there are in Lincolnshire; what the capacity of each is in number of fractions per annum; how many years each has been in service; how many new linear accelerators are expected to be available in Lincolnshire in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department does not collect data in the format requested.
	The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has three linear accelerators. However, the Department does not hold information on whether all these machines are in routine clinical use. Some may be used for clinical research, training purposes, or as back up when another machine requires maintenance.
	For information relating to fractions per annum for linear accelerators I refer the hon. Member to the reply to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Andrew Lansley) on 16 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1066W.
	The acquisition of resources is a matter for local determination based on local needs. The recent report National Radiotherapy Advisory Group (NRAG) published in May 2007 has recommended that the Department sets out a trajectory of the numbers of new linear accelerators it would expect to see coming into use over the next 10 years and monitors local action delivery of this expansion progress in line with this trajectory. This recommendation along with others made by NRAG are being considered as part of the development of the Cancer Reform Strategy.

Rapid Review Panel

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many product assessments the Rapid Review Panel has undertaken since December 2003; how many assessed products were recommended to his Department for use  (a) in the NHS and  (b) by the NHS Purchasing and Supplies Agency; and how many products in use by the NHS were recommended by the panel.

Ann Keen: The Panel has undertaken 184 assessments since its first meeting.
	Four products have demonstrated sufficient research and development, validation and recent in use evaluations to enable the Rapid Review Panel (RRP) to make a recommendation to the Department that the product should be made available to national health service bodies. This constitutes a recommendation one from the Panel.
	Of the four products given a recommendation one, three have been made available to the NHS by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency via the NHS Supply Chain and are contained in their product supply catalogue.
	NHS trusts are free to choose which infection control products to purchase and will maintain their own records.
	The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency does not recommend particular products.

Strokes

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had strokes in  (a) England and  (b) the East Midlands in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) from 2004-05 suggest there were around 73,000 emergency admissions with a primary diagnosis of stroke. However, this figure under-represents the true incidence of stroke for two reasons: firstly some hospital patients who have a stroke may also have another condition as their primary diagnosis; secondly, not all stroke patients currently attend hospital. HES cannot provide data that is robust enough to give numbers either nationally or regionally.
	Academic estimates suggest there are around 110,000 strokes in England per annum.

Strokes: Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provisions have been made since 1997 to improve the quality of healthcare for stroke sufferers.

Ann Keen: Between 1996-97 and 2007-08, spending on the national health service has increased from £33 billion to just over £90 billion, representing an average annual increase in real terms of 6 per cent. The improvements seen in stroke services have undoubtedly benefited from these increases over the last 10 years.
	The National Service Framework (NSF) for long-term conditions was published in 2004 to improve the quality of life and independence for people with long-term neurological conditions. It set out general guidelines for a range of conditions, including stroke, to establish faster diagnosis, more rapid treatment and a comprehensive package of care based around individual patient needs.
	Prior to this the "NSF for Older People", published in 2001, included a chapter on stroke services. It set out a range of measures to reduce the incidence of stroke and improve stroke treatment, which have led to a widespread development of services: the Royal College of Physicians' (RCP) shows that all trusts caring for people who have had a stroke now have a specialist stroke service and 97 per cent. of hospitals in England now have a stroke unit, these were uncommon a decade ago. The audit also shows that in 2006, around two thirds of stroke patients were treated on a stroke unit. This is a significant improvement since 2004 when the figure was less than half. Length of stay in hospital for stroke patients is falling from 34 days in 2001 to 28 days in 2004. The results of the RCP audit also show that the proportion of trusts with a stroke unit meeting five or six of the audit's criteria has increased from 33 per cent. to 41 per cent. between 2004 and 2006.
	Stroke mortality is falling. For people under 65, the three year average death rate from stroke has fallen by 23 per cent. over the period from 1993-95 to 2002-04. For people aged 65-75 the death rate has dropped by 30 per cent. over the same period. We have made greater progress in reducing premature deaths from coronary heart disease than from stroke. This is because we have begun by focusing on coronary heart disease, the biggest killer in the country. However, because of the significant progress we have made in this area we are now able to redouble our efforts in addressing the challenge of stroke. This is why the Department launched a stroke strategy document for consultation on 9 July 2007. It followed an 18-month programme of work, setting out the views of six expert working groups who represented a wide range of key stakeholders. The strategy aims to accelerate the emergency response to stroke, by setting out a framework for care of stroke patients, and raising awareness about stroke symptoms and risk factors. It is due for publication by the end of 2007.
	In addition to developing the strategy, in 2006 the Department published "Mending hearts and brains", a report by Professor Roger Boyle, the National Director for Heart and Stroke. The report makes the clinical case for reconfiguring stroke services. In particular, it emphasises the need to treat stroke as an emergency, including the delivery of thrombolysis at specialist centres and a possible 'hub and spoke' model for stroke services.
	Last year, the Department also launched "Action on stroke services: an evaluation toolkit", (ASSET ) to help health care providers compare their performance with others. It considers four aspects of acute treatment setting out how these mean fewer people experiencing death or disability, and more efficient hospital services with people able to return home faster. An additional version, ASSET 2 for commissioners has also been introduced which uses analytical modelling to advise hospitals and primary care trusts of what the impact of making specific changes to their services would be. We have also published a guide for commissioners, setting out key questions they need to consider and a series of best practice case studies.
	As well as helping to improve existing stroke services, the Department is investing £20 million over five years (2005-2010) into the development of the UK Stroke Research Network.

Strokes: Health Services

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department will increase funding for stroke rehabilitation therapies.

Ann Keen: holding answer 29 October 2007
	The Government have been consulting on the recommendations of the working groups contributing to the development of a National Stroke Strategy. It will publish this National Strategy at the end of the year setting out its plans to modernise service provision and deliver the newest treatments for stroke.

Tobacco: Civil Proceedings

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider the merits of using litigation against tobacco companies in relation to damage caused by their products to the health of British citizens.

Dawn Primarolo: Smoking is the biggest cause of premature death and one of the most significant causes of health inequality in the United Kingdom. The Department's approach to tobacco control is based on a six-strand strategy to reduce smoking prevalence through the following action:
	Reducing tobacco advertising and promotion;
	Supporting smokers to quit through the national health service;
	Running effective smoking communications and education campaigns;
	Regulating tobacco products;
	Reducing availability and supply of tobacco; and
	Reducing exposure to second-hand smoke.
	While the Department has no intention at this point in time to use litigation against tobacco companies in relation to the damage their products cause to health, individuals may take such action.

Transplant Surgery: Manpower

Anthony D Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many transplant co-ordinators are employed in  (a) England,  (b) Norfolk and  (c) Great Yarmouth.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally.

Young Potential: Bassetlaw

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department plans to provide to Young Potential in Bassetlaw in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009.

Dawn Primarolo: The Young Potential project is a respected youth initiative primarily funded though local arrangements e.g. the Nottingham Local Strategic Partnership. Together with 26 other schemes, the project participated in the Department's funded three-year pilot Young People's Development Programme (YPDP). The intention of YPDP was always to embed the lessons learned into mainstream activity. YPDP has become recognised as meeting the needs of the new targeted youth support arrangements being taken forward by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Over the last year, the National Youth Agency and the Department has supported the participant projects in making the case for funding for this aspect of work from their local authority areas, which is what we would now expect to happen.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts: Cambridgeshire

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) acceptable behaviour orders and  (b) parenting orders were issued in (i) Peterborough and (ii) Cambridgeshire in each year since their introduction; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Airports: Warnings

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors were taken into account in determining the format of the notices posted in airports for incoming passengers at the UK's borders.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 October 2007,  Official Report, column 2353W, on alcoholic drinks: children, how many fines were levied in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is contained in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Number of persons fined for selling alcohol to those aged under 18 in England and Wales 
			   Number 
			 1997 111 
			 1998 129 
			 1999 95 
			 2000 46 
			 2001 42 
			 2002 80 
			 2003 353 
			 2004 519 
			 2005 679 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Animal Experiments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requirements exist on the recording of observations on the condition of animals used for scientific testing and whether or not there is a change in condition.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Animal Experiments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether records on the condition of animals are kept on a 24-hour basis by establishments with a certificate of designation under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Animal Experiments

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were carried out in Scotland in 2006.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Animal Experiments

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places in Scotland were designated as an  (a) supplying establishment,  (b) breeding establishment and  (c) scientific procedure establishment under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 at the end of (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Animal Experiments

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many animals were used in regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Scotland in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Animal Experiments

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 carried out in Scotland in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006 were conducted without anaesthesia.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Animal Experiments

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many infringements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were recorded in Scotland at the end of 2006; and how many resulting prosecutions there were.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Animal Experiments: Licensing

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many project licences were granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006; and how many project licences were in force at the end of (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006 in respect of work to be carried out in Scotland.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Derbyshire

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been imposed in  (a) Derbyshire and  (b) Bolsover constituency since their introduction.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Anti-terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many control orders are active.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Anti-terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of control orders.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Anti-terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance individuals subject to control orders receive with their living costs.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Anti-terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how frequently control orders are subject to review; and what form such review takes.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Anti-terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any of the individuals who have been subjected to control orders have been treated for self-inflicted injuries.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Anti-terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restrictions may be placed on an individual who is the subject of a control order.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Anti-terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals currently subjected to control orders have previous convictions for terrorism-related offences.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Arrests: Genetics

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of people arrested in the last 12 months had a DNA sample taken from them; and what factors are taken into account in deciding whether to take a DNA sample from an individual who has been arrested.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 23 October 2007
	There is no current data available on the number of individuals who are arrested each year. Information on arrests published in the Statistical Bulletin 'Arrests for Recorded Crime (Notifiable Offences), is based on an 'arrest event' i.e. a person will be counted more than once if arrested on more than one occasion during the year.
	It is therefore not possible to compare the arrest data with data on the number of persons who have a DNA sample taken or the number of subject sample profiles added to the National DNA Database (NDNAD) or give a figure for the percentage of arrested persons who have a DNA sample taken.
	Available data obtained from police forces in England and Wales indicate that over 673,000 persons had a DNA sample taken in 2006-07 and 667,737 DMA subject sample profiles were loaded to the National DNA Database. This would represent around 576,250 individuals, taking account of the estimated subject sample profile replication rate which is currently 13.7 per cent.
	The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has produced guidance for police officers on the use of DNA. The guidance states that a DNA sample should be taken from anyone who is detained at a police station and has been arrested for a recordable offence and:
	who is a new offender and therefore does not have a PNC record or who does not already have a DNA profile on the National DNA Database; and
	who has not had a DNA sample same taken during the course of the investigation.

Asylum

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received from Refugee Action on its report The Destitution Trap; and what estimate she has made of the number of asylum seekers living on the streets.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Asylum

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether officials from her Department have made an assessment of the initiative of the Hotham Mission in Melbourne, Australia relating to asylum seekers.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Asylum: Appeals

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when her Department  (a) received notice from the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal of the Judge's decision in the case of Mr M.I., sponsored by Mr R.A. of Aylesbury, (appeal reference VA/31440/2006, FCO number 1198381), and  (b) notified H.M. High Commission, Islamabad, of the outcome of the appeal.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Asylum: Applications

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) Iraqi,  (b) Afghan and  (c) Somali nationals have been waiting for determination of an application for indefinite leave to remain in the UK for more than (i) six, (ii) 12 and (iii) 24 months; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The available information is listed in the following table.
	
		
			  Non-asylum indefinite leave to remain applications made in the UK awaiting consideration over each of the listed periods as of 31 May 2007 for the timescales and nationalities shown( 1) 
			   6 to < 12 months  12 to < 24 months  24 months and over 
			 Iraq 450 475 150 
			 Afghanistan 100 250 150 
			 Somalia 75 150 375 
			 Total 625 875 675 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 25.  Note: This table includes applications submitted under a range of categories, including those from applicants here illegally or have substantively overstayed their leave in the UK.  Source: The data is not provided under National Statistic protocols. It has been derived from local management information and is therefore provisional subject to change.

Asylum: Children

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children went missing from the local authority areas around Heathrow and Gatwick while under immigration control in each of the last three years.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 9 July 2007
	The Border and Immigration Agency is committed to keeping children safe from harm and believes that it is vital that there is a closer relationship with children in the immigration process. The Agency is developing a programme of work to underpin this principle. Part of this includes a recently completed consultation exercise on better planning and support for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. The findings from this exercise will be published soon. Among the proposals will be plans to ensure that UASC are in future placed with "specialist" local authorities who can demonstrate that they have the expertise to deal with the children's particular needs. It will be especially important to ensure that measures are in place to monitor and deal effectively with children who go missing from local authority care, including those who have been trafficked.
	Children from abroad who arrive at Gatwick and Heathrow airports and require social services assistance generally become the responsibility of West Sussex county council and the London borough of Hillingdon respectively. West Sussex has reported that in the years 2004 to 2006 50 such children went missing or left care without explanation. Hillingdon has reported that in 2006 74 children went missing or left their care placement without informing their carers where they were going to live. It has advised that figures for 2004 and 2005 are available only at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of support of asylum seekers was to each local authority in the East of England in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is set out and is based upon returns submitted by local authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government. Funding for local authorities' responsibilities in the area of asylum seekers is met by central Government through a combination of formula grant and by specific grants from the Home Office.
	Information is only available from 1999 onwards. The information for 2006-07 has been taken from the indicative budget prepared by local authorities for that year.
	
		
			  Net current expenditure on asylum seekers in East of England local authorities; 1998-99 to 2007-08 
			  £000 
			  Local authority  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Luton UA 273 1,837 4,746 4,715 3,940 3,232 2,313 1,355 1,073 
			 Bedfordshire 204 1,243 2,327 2,167 1,211 624 368 268 337 
			 Bedford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Peterborough UA 49 236 907 1,071 1,790 21 1,781 1,159 1,700 
			 Cambridgeshire 251 989 2,026 2,285 1,493 997 541 1,171 0 
			 Cambridge 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 East Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Fenland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Huntingdonshire 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 
			 South Cambridgeshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA 258 0 2,602 2,675 2,321 2,180 1,457 1,150 1,319 
			 Thurrock UA 87 1,567 2,623 2,869 3,655 3,050 1,910 0 173 
			 Essex 219 1,836 2,429 2,099 2,050 2,208 2,720 2,062 1,960 
			 Basildon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Braintree 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Brentwood 0 0 52 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Castle Point 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Chelmsford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Colchester 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Epping Forest 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Harlow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Maldon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Rochford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Tendring 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Uttlesford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire 391 -539 4,696 5,896 3,753 2,777 2,081 581 0 
			 Broxbourne 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dacorum 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 East Hertfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hertsmere 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Hertfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 St. Albans 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Stevenage 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Three Rivers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Watford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Norfolk 224 539 1,256 1,286 1,149 1,115 863 604 1,309 
			 Breckland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Broadland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Great Yarmouth 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Norwich 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South Norfolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 16 436 1,024 494 477 440 375 322 121 
			 Babergh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Forest Heath 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ipswich 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Mid Suffolk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 St. Edmundsbury 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk Coastal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Waveney 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire Police Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire Police Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Norfolk Police Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk Police Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex Police Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hertfordshire Police Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire Combined Fire Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire Combined Fire Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Essex Combined Fire Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 The Broads Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total 1,972 8,144 24,690 25,558 21,840 16,644 14,409 8,672 7,992 
			  Sources: 1. Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns 1998-99 to 2005-06 2. Communities and Local Government Revenue Account (PA) budget returns 2006-07 which can be reviewed at: http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/stats/natstats.htm#rev

Asylum: Housing

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints were made in each UK region against private contractors providing homes for asylum seekers in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07; how many have been made in 2007-08; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Asylum: Housing

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on using private contractors to provide homes for asylum seekers in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07; and how much it has spent in 2007-08.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Asylum: Housing

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value was of the largest contract made with private contractors to provide homes for asylum seekers in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07; and what the value is of the largest contract made in 2007-08.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Asylum: Iraq

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi staff  (a) working and  (b) who formerly worked for the Government have applied for (i) exceptional leave to enter the UK and (ii) resettlement in the UK through the UK's Gateway Refugee Settlement Programme.

Liam Byrne: I am advised by officials that no applications have yet been received by the Border and Immigration Agency.

BAE Systems

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date her Department received the original mutual legal assistance request from the US Department of Justice on BAE Systems; what representations her Department has received from  (a) the US Administration,  (b) BAE Systems,  (c) other Government Departments and  (d) other persons about the progress of the mutual legal assistance request; and on what dates these representations were made.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

BAE Systems

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department has forwarded a copy of the US Department of Justice's mutual legal assistance request on BAE Systems to  (a) the Serious Fraud Office and  (b) another law enforcement agency.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

BAE Systems

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West, of 19 July 2007,  Official Report, column 504W, on the BAE Systems inquiry, what protocols are encompassed by the phrase 'considered in the usual way'.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Border and Immigration Agency: Disciplinary Proceedings

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of staff of the Border and Immigration Agency and those working under contract for her Department and its agencies  (a) were formally warned,  (b) were dismissed and  (c) faced other disciplinary actions as a result of mistreating those being removed from the UK in each of the last three years.

Liam Byrne: In each of the last three years no Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) staff were disciplined as a result of mistreating those being removed from the UK. With regards to those working under contract for BIA and its agencies, our records show that two people were formally warned, two people were dismissed and two people faced other disciplinary action during 2006 only. The figures relate to contracted staff involved in the escorting of individuals being removed from the UK.

Border and Immigration Agency: Uniforms

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department and the Border and Immigration Agency spent on  (a) the design and  (b) the production of uniforms for immigration officers in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

British Nationality: Fraud

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) charged,  (b) convicted,  (c) imprisoned and  (d) deported because of immigration and nationality crimes involving bogus educational colleges in the latest period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Chinese Community: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to work with Chinatown employers on the issue of migrant workers; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Chinese Community: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by whom and for what reasons television and other media were invited to attend the raid in Chinatown on 11 October; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Chinese Community: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were detained as alleged illegal migrants as a result of the Border and Immigration Agency raid in Chinatown on 11 October; how many of those people were released, as legal workers; what the longest period was a detainee was held; how many  (a) remain in detention,  (b) await removal and  (c) have been removed; which countries and regions the people detained were from; how many were from each country or region; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Chinese Community: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) Border and Immigration Agency staff and  (b) police officers were involved in the Chinatown raid on 11 October; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Chinese Community: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what documents restaurateurs involved in the raids by the Border and Immigration Agency on 11 October were asked to sign; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Chinese Community: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how long those detained following the raids in Chinatown on 11 October were held before they were given  (a) food and  (b) drink; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Chinese Community: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make a statement on the meeting attended by Border and Immigration Agency officials in Chinatown on 18 October.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Chinese Community: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received on the protest in London's Chinatown which involved closure of several restaurants on 18 October; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Chinese Community: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what stage those detained on 11 October during the raid in London's Chinatown by the Border and Immigration Agency were afforded access to legal advice; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Chinese Community: Greater London

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will meet the London Chinatown Chinese Association to discuss immigration issues.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Crime Prevention: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps Bedfordshire Police are taking to improve the implementation of neighbourhood policing; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Crime: Drugs

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crack cocaine dealers were  (a) prosecuted and  (b) sentenced in (i) England, (ii) the North East and (iii) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland in each of the last 10 years

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Crime: Greater London

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many offences were recorded for  (a) violence against the person,  (b) sexual offences,  (c) burglary,  (d) robbery and  (e) theft from a vehicle in each London borough in each year since 1998; and what changes were made to the methodology for calculating the number of offences in each case in that period;
	(2)  what the percentage crime detection rate for  (a) violence against the person,  (b) sexual offences,  (c) burglary,  (d) robbery and  (e) theft from a vehicle was in each London borough in each year since 1998; and what changes were made to the methodology for calculating the detection rate in each case in that period.

Tony McNulty: Recorded crime data at basic command unit (BCU) level is only available from 1999-2000 onwards. BCU figures for burglary in 1999-2000 are only available for burglary in a dwelling. Figures for 2000-01 onwards are for all burglary offences i.e. burglary in a dwelling and other burglary.
	The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced nationally across England and Wales in April 2002 to promote greater consistency between police forces in the recording of crime and to take a more victim orientated approach to crime recording. Also, from April 2002 onwards, some offence groups, including violence against the person and sexual offences, were amended to reflect a newly defined subgroup of offences. Therefore, figures before and after this date are not directly comparable.
	The available figures are given in tables placed in the House Libraries. Tables 1a and 1b provide the number of offences, and tables 2a and 2b, the percentage detection rates recorded by the two BCUs within the City of London police and the 33 BCUs within the Metropolitan police.

Crime: Hospitals

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to reduce levels of crime in hospitals and health centres since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Crime: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to encourage the police force to work with local communities to tackle crime in the West Midlands since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994: Stop and Search

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 April 2007,  Off icial Report, column 604W, on stop and search, what the  (a) gender,  (b) ethnicity and  (c) age was of each person stopped under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 in each year since the relevant provisions came into force.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Human Rights Act

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil law suits have been brought against her Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office deals with several thousand cases a year, and litigants frequently rely on arguments based on the Human Rights Act in addition to their other claims. Home Office records do not distinguish cases where the Human Rights Act is invoked from cases where it is not. Consequently it is not possible to provide a detailed answer without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departments: Disabled People

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which buildings occupied by her Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Finance

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which programmes funded by his Department have experienced a real terms reduction in their annual budget for the 2007-08 financial year; and what the budget  (a) was in 2006-07 and  (b) is in 2007-08 in each case.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Departments: Manpower

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed by her Department on 1 January in each of the last five years; and how many of these staff were  (a) permanent employees,  (b) temporary staff and  (c) contractors.

Liam Byrne: Information on the total number of staff employed by the Home Office in 2007 is published by the Office for National Statistics. Please see Table six of the Quarterly Public Sector Employment First Release (31 March 2007),
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/pse0607.pdf .
	This is the official source of workforce numbers for the civil service, which provides a breakdown of permanent and temporary/casual employees by Department.
	Pre-2007 the source is Table A of the Civil Service Statistics publication:
	 2006 (30 September)
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=2899&Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=422
	 2005(1 April)
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/reports/2005/tables_and_charts/index.asp
	 2004 (1 April)
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/reports/2004/tables_and_charts/index.asp
	 2003 (1 April)
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/statistics/reports/2003/tables_and_charts/index.asp
	Please note that in 2005 and 2006 the Civil Service Statistics were not published with the permanent and temporary/casual breakdown, a workbook is attached to this letter with this additional information.
	Figures are provided in the following table.
	Statistics on the number of contractors employed by Departments are not published. The civil service statistics represent those employees paid directly from the Department's payroll. Any contractors employed via agencies and so not paid directly by the Department are not included.
	
		
			  Civil service employment at 30 September 2006 
			   Headcount permanent  Headcount temporary/casual  Headcount total  FTE permanent  FTE temporary/casual  FTE total 
			 Home Office 22,030 460 22,490 20,910 420 21,330 
			 Criminal Records Bureau 380 10 390 360 10 370 
			 HM Prison Service 47,900 1,140 49,040 46,640 1,090 47,730 
			 Identity and passport office 3,650 20 3,680 3,200 20 3,220

Departments: Manpower

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of employees in  (a) her Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by her Department are above state retirement age.

Liam Byrne: Total number of people employed above retirement age by the Home Office and its Executives agencies are:
	
		
			   Total active permanent staff as of September 2007  Number of men above 65 and women above 60 years of age  Percentage of total 
			 Home Office headquarters 3,703 23 0.61 
			 Border and Immigration Agency 17,570 59 0.33 
			 Identity and Passport Service 4,029 54 1.34 
			 Criminal Records Bureau 422 1 0.20

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any of her Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Jacqui Smith: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers. Copies of the Model Contract are available in the Libraries of the House.

Departments: Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions she has visited each region in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Jacqui Smith: I will write to the hon. Member.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Liam Byrne: There is only one reclassification relating to the Home Office as a result of the comprehensive spending review.
	This results from the transfer of the General Register Office (GRO) in England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to the Home Office as part of making the ONS independent of Ministers. The GRO will become part of the Identity and Passport Service, an Executive agency of the Home Office from 1 April 2008.
	The GRO has a budget of £8.1 million which is being reclassified from admin to programme. This is because much of its work relates to frontline service delivery in the form of providing a registration service of births, deaths and marriages to members of the general public.

Departments: Publicity

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's projected spending is on advertising and promotional campaigns for  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09, broken down by cost relating to (i) television, (ii) radio and (iii) print media.

Jacqui Smith: I will write to the hon. Member.

Departments: Staff Exit Schemes

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in (i) his Department and (ii) each agency of the Department in each year since 1997-98; how much is planned to be spent for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: I will write to the hon. Member.

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees in  (a) her Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by her Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people took sick leave for stress in her Department in the last 12 months; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of Questions tabled to her Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Deportation

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1478W, on deportation, and with reference to the letters of 9 February 2006 and 3 April 2006 from her Department's Immigration and Nationality Directorate to the hon. Member for Aylesbury, on what date her Department provided to HM High Commission, Kingston, the notice of refusal and associated papers in the case of Mr E. A., husband of Mrs J. A. of Aylesbury (reference A505053); and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 25 June 2007
	 I will write to the hon. Member.

Deportation: Sri Lanka

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her Department's policy not to issue removal directions in respect of Tamils who claim that their return to Sri Lanka might expose them to risk of treatment in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights pending the adoption of a lead judgment in one or more of the applications already communicated under Rule 39.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Detention Centres: Admissions

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what she expects the bed capacity to be in the Immigration Detention Estate in each of the next five years.

Liam Byrne: The Border and Immigration Agency currently has 10 removal centres which provide a total of 2,533 detention bedspaces. The future size of the detention estate is being reviewed and until this is completed no figures are available for the planned number of bedspaces for the next five years.

Dogs: Council Housing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government plans to consider the introduction of a ban on certain dog breeds in council properties.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Domestic Violence: Wales

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women in Wales reported incidents of domestic violence in each of the last five years; and what measures are in place to support women who report domestic violence.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Drugs Liaison Officers

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drugs liaison officers were in post in each country in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Drugs: East Midlands

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted of drugs offences in the East Midlands in each of the last six years.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Drugs: Misuse

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government have taken to reduce levels of drug addiction in the UK since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The Government initiated in 1998, a 10 year national Drug Strategy which introduced a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach to tackling the harms caused by drugs through a focus on prevention, education, early intervention, treatment and strong enforcement. This approach has delivered results.
	British Crime Survey data collected since 1996 shows that, at 10.0 per cent. overall, use of any illicit drug in the last year by 16 to 59-year-olds is at its lowest level since the British Crime Survey (BCS) started measurement.
	The Young People and Drugs Programme has been established which provides a range of universal, targeted and specialist services for young people, including vulnerable groups. The FRANK campaign has been launched to inform young people and their parents and carers about the dangers and risks involved with drug use. The Positive Futures Programme has been established to provide diversionary activities for young people at risk of drug misuse.
	The Government have significantly increased investment in treatment services which has seen record numbers of drug users accessing structured treatment. A national target to double the number of users in treatment by 2008 has already been achieved two years earlier than anticipated.
	New innovative approaches to tackle the link between drugs and acquisitive crime and promote treatment including new legislation, new sentencing measures and the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) have been introduced. Over 3,000 drug misusing offenders per month are now entering treatment through the programme. Since the introduction of DIP, recorded acquisitive crime—to which drug-related crime makes a significant contribution—has fallen by 20 per cent.
	Tough legislation has also been introduced to reduce the incentives for individuals and organised criminal groups to become involved in dealing and trafficking. Increasing quantities of drugs are being seized and organised crime groups and dealers disrupted.
	The Government want to build upon the good progress made to date which is why we have been consulting on the development of the new Drug Strategy.

Drugs: Smuggling

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug mules were intercepted at UK airports from  (a) Jamaica,  (b) Ghana and  (c) Nigeria in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Entry Clearances

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reach a decision in the cases of Mr. T.S. (Home Office ref S1119245) and Mr. T.M. (Home Office ref M1128325) who have been refused leave to remain but whose wives and children have subsequently been granted asylum.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 26 July 2007
	I will write to my hon. Friend.

Entry Clearances

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2007,  Official Report, column 346W, on entry clearances, whether she intends to collect and collate data on applications for indefinite leave to remain for individuals on a  (a) constituency basis and  (b) local authority area basis; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many student visas were revoked in each of the last five years because students failed  (a) to register at the beginning of the academic year and  (b) to attend classes.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

EU Migrants

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the brief was for the report on EU migration flows commissioned by her Department from Christian Dustmann et al of University College; what the value was of the commission; what the basis was for selecting the team; which other teams were considered; and which other studies were analysed by the Department as part of its analysis of EU migration flows.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Genetics: Criminal Investigation

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to page 35 of the National DNA Database Annual Report 2005-06, whether any of the 165,099 separate individuals who have been matched with a crime scene profile since May 2001 had any previous criminal convictions.

Jacqui Smith: The National DNA Database records the DNA profile for a particular individual. It does not hold data on arrest and criminal records. This information is held on the Police National Computer (PNC). Obtaining the information sought would require cross searching of records held on the PNC against the NDNAD, which could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Genetics: Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many DNA profiles were added to the National DNA Database by each police force in  (a) each year since it was launched and  (b) each month in 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: The number of profiles relating to individuals added to the Database by each police force in England and Wales in each year since its foundation in 1995, and each month in 2007, is shown in the following tables.
	A certain number of profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, i.e. a profile for a person has been loaded on more than one occasion (one reason for this is that the person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests). At present the replication rate is 13.7 per cent. i.e. the number of people whose details are loaded is 13.7 per cent. less than the number of profiles. However, as the replication rate has varied over time, an exact figure for the number of people who have been added to the database in each year since 1995 cannot be given.
	
		
			  NDNAD—profiles relating to individuals by force—England and Wales 
			   1995-96  1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01 
			 Avon and Somerset 501 1,360 2,402 6,860 5,174 7,735 
			 Bedfordshire 256 525 797 1,535 1,534 3,436 
			 British Transport 205 632 927 1,312 1,181 1,787 
			 Cambridgeshire 462 1,050 1,545 2,425 1,617 3,384 
			 Cheshire 304 1,272 2,43 3,091 2,274 7,292 
			 City of London 667 1,538 1,965 2,642 1,515 1,342 
			 Cleveland 583 1,102 1,530 1,502 1,504 4,620 
			 Cumbria 118 392 1,039 3,222 1,556 4,069 
			 Derbyshire 1,268 2,758 2,772 4,648 3,290 4,943 
			 Devon and Cornwall 886 2,076 3,256 5,184 4,485 9,598 
			 Dorset 248 420 615 866 642 5,164 
			 Durham 550 860 1,574 4,259 1,958 3,817 
			 Dyfed-Powys 830 1,409 2,346 3,435 1,784 3,955 
			 Essex 929 1,493 2,691 5,326 5,006 8,894 
			 Gloucestershire 242 620 713 1,857 1,921 5,426 
			 Greater Manchester 729 3,819 6,608 7,166 5,955 21,100 
			 Gwent 585 1,320 2,076 2,657 3,321 6,005 
			 Hampshire 1,191 2,122 3,404 5,216 3,421 12,517 
			 Hertfordshire 473 727 967 1,446 983 6,262 
			 Humberside 539 2,044 9,295 11,017 4,260 6,893 
			 Kent 836 2,059 2,551 4,763 3,380 12,026 
			 Lancashire 1,143 2,674 4,678 4,934 4,980 9,786 
			 Leicestershire 634 1,456 1,955 3,249 2,489 4,650 
			 Lincolnshire 150 656 1,112 1,672 2,789 2,929 
			 Merseyside 973 2,781 2,493 6,811 6,180 13,358 
			 Metropolitan 4,699 9,980 13,165 39,141 51,712 64,039 
			 Norfolk 406 1,812 3,788 6,835 4,413 4,649 
			 North Wales 620 1,322 1,590 3,654 3,848 6,008 
			 North Yorkshire 612 944 1,409 2,078 1,404 3,696 
			 Northamptonshire 653 1,353 1,864 3,524 1,100 4,538 
			 Northumbria 1,246 3,413 3,458 4,596 3,732 15,261 
			 Nottinghamshire 129 526 3,057 7,202 2,777 9,670 
			 South Wales 2,352 4,603 6,692 3,104 4,791 11,016 
			 South Yorkshire 943 1,717 3,408 10,942 1,467 7,609 
			 Staffordshire 480 733 1,235 8,368 4,759 4,827 
			 Suffolk 0 123 1,413 2,020 1,048 3,974 
			 Surrey 198 351 1,046 1,943 503 3,540 
			 Sussex 826 1,666 1,693 1,570 3,899 10,475 
			 Thames Valley 880 2,669 2,346 5,140 8,042 10,477 
			 Warwickshire 144 300 623 1,408 731 2,478 
			 West Mercia 849 1,400 1,464 2,308 3,797 6,293 
			 West Midlands 1,058 4,949 7,169 17,852 11,607 13,894 
			 West Yorkshire 1,698 4,332 6,741 10,611 8,614 17,913 
			 Wiltshire 438 840 1,142 1,393 1,551 4,420 
			 Total 33,533 80,198 125,053 230,787 192,994 375,765 
		
	
	
		
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 9,984 9,093 9,197 8,318 11,214 14,708 
			 Bedfordshire 4,946 4,684 4,759 4,597 6,100 6,322 
			 British Transport 3,603 3,808 3,944 4,021 7,439 9,376 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,250 3,941 4,006 6,578 8,556 8,899 
			 Cheshire 9,270 8,156 7,391 7,282 10,634 10,171 
			 City of London 1,513 1,949 1,640 1,242 2,191 2,262 
			 Cleveland 5,321 5,018 5,268 4,732 6,999 6,917 
			 Cumbria 3,844 4,213 4,049 5,499 6,018 5,341 
			 Derbyshire 7,407 6,512 7,092 9,204 11,806 14,823 
			 Devon and Cornwall 12,783 10,342 9,719 10,072 12,132 14,860 
			 Dorset 5,661 5,057 4,474 5,876 7,795 7,015 
			 Durham 4,183 6,039 4,508 4,822 6,950 6,894 
			 Dyfed-Powys 5,096 5,056 4,439 4,384 5,997 5,667 
			 Essex 11,581 10,237 9,765 14,840 18,407 17,674 
			 Gloucestershire 4,693 4,239 3,602 4,726 5,945 5,174 
			 Greater Manchester 28,779 23,430 24,575 31,266 34,336 29,589 
			 Gwent 6,664 4,516 4,013 3,680 5,227 5,816 
			 Hampshire 15,887 14,192 14,030 15,476 20,758 15,490 
			 Hertfordshire 7,527 7,877 7,162 8,199 12,918 9,940 
			 Humberside 5,497 6,094 6,116 6,461 7,388 8,342 
			 Kent 15,167 13,924 14,051 19,063 18,868 16,825 
			 Lancashire 17,597 16,453 13,588 14,098 18,591 16,828 
			 Leicestershire 6,006 6,024 6,419 8,150 9,816 8,499 
			 Lincolnshire 3,922 3,866 4,168 5,681 6,729 7,327 
			 Merseyside 12,298 16,067 13,076 8,375 13,030 14,561 
			 Metropolitan 66,950 62,318 59,810 74,389 111,575 154,674 
			 Norfolk 5,553 4,648 5,359 5,043 7,965 7,515 
			 North Wales 5,037 5,002 4,715 6,270 7,111 6,351 
			 North Yorkshire 5,968 5,395 5,297 5,859 8,545 7,655 
			 Northamptonshire 3,779 3,581 3,231 3,398 5,442 5,693 
			 Northumbria 21,495 19,195 17,826 17,375 18,809 20,328 
			 Nottinghamshire 9,080 11,539 9,501 10,213 12,068 12,923 
			 South Wales 13,678 11,180 10,143 10,686 14,884 11,586 
			 South Yorkshire 10,582 10,136 11,875 15,229 15,358 13,946 
			 Staffordshire 9,905 7,928 10,155 11,836 12,242 11,163 
			 Suffolk 5,249 5,099 5,455 4,942 5,312 6,374 
			 Surrey 7,092 6,555 6,188 6,627 9,477 8,838 
			 Sussex 11,227 9,753 11,022 13,426 15,489 15,371 
			 Thames Valley 13,230 13,418 12,240 15,053 20,279 21,025 
			 Warwickshire 3,659 3,079 3,091 2,651 3,762 5,164 
			 West Mercia 8,408 7,668 7,569 8,168 8,791 10,318 
			 West Midlands 30,945 32,747 32,419 26,358 35,836 41,818 
			 West Yorkshire 19,837 19,693 19,928 19,999 29,432 32,393 
			 Wiltshire 5,818 4,673 4,852 6,124 7,576 5,283 
			 Total 470,971 444,395 431,727 480,288 625,797 667,738 
		
	
	
		
			   January 2007  February 2007  March 2007  April 2007  May 2007  June 2007  July 2007  August 2007  September 2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,208 1,125 1,173 1,233 1,127 1,406 1,298 1,049 1,045 
			 Bedfordshire 494 453 533 455 467 327 384 424 633 
			 British Transport 897 834 875 555 627 770 536 699 504 
			 Cambridgeshire 809 921 630 715 682 506 481 665 603 
			 Cheshire 831 716 916 704 779 758 834 638 1,179 
			 City of London 217 188 193 184 200 132 180 204 123 
			 Cleveland 674 432 752 593 645 545 565 450 481 
			 Cumbria 481 397 351 423 489 344 56 395 366 
			 Derbyshire 1,126 1,183 1,705 1,416 849 750 886 544 889 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,370 1,064 880 944 1,103 1,057 1,560 714 1,317 
			 Dorset 581 491 590 436 559 430 596 528 549 
			 Durham 608 495 586 469 586 464 515 496 435 
			 Dyfed-Powys 389 382 350 467 415 391 407 471 296 
			 Essex 1,448 1,461 1,383 1,424 1,742 1,377 1,569 1,483 1,400 
			 Gloucestershire 486 325 356 451 449 342 358 423 353 
			 Greater Manchester 2,471 2,269 2,339 2,244 2,395 2,119 2,333 2,039 2,331 
			 Gwent 339 429 578 508 441 394 381 687 305 
			 Hampshire 894 773 2,614 1,913 1,345 932 1,509 1,259 1,774 
			 Hertfordshire 818 808 799 765 863 705 891 748 664 
			 Humberside 601 691 595 486 674 610 624 670 517 
			 Kent 1,500 1,338 1,334 1,351 1,182 1,679 1,505 1,274 1,257 
			 Lancashire 1,108 2,100 1,031 1,289 938 928 1,963 624 1,401 
			 Leicestershire 684 588 694 230 785 426 1,150 512 572 
			 Lincolnshire 609 1,220 344 503 600 491 467 705 554 
			 Merseyside 990 1,141 1,423 1,135 2,817 1,429 1,615 1,331 1,376 
			 Metropolitan 8,435 8,101 8,107 7,333 7,233 7,585 8,058 6,767 7,236 
			 Norfolk 586 377 501 745 633 561 599 509 494 
			 North Wales 622 350 695 163 792 560 541 584 352 
			 North Yorkshire 662 655 578 650 629 584 834 635 481 
			 Northamptonshire 470 424 352 369 525 353 540 294 512 
			 Northumbria 1,285 2,131 1,591 1,378 1,510 1,806 2,823 1,449 763 
			 Nottinghamshire 545 1,726 1,465 820 820 691 306 705 1,390 
			 South Wales 831 846 947 819 965 807 992 907 985 
			 South Yorkshire 1,265 1,033 1,221 1,058 1,417 1,040 1,313 1,260 1,129 
			 Staffordshire 1,146 915 1,257 1,217 1,196 801 931 895 422 
			 Suffolk 472 456 498 416 502 455 381 624 597 
			 Surrey 737 629 684 652 690 769 644 722 490 
			 Sussex 1,458 985 1,260 1,291 1,442 1,902 1,555 1,289 1,423 
			 Thames Valley 1,719 1,445 1,995 2,037 2,069 1,941 1,951 1,805 1,783 
			 Warwickshire 560 334 414 480 230 608 369 636 359 
			 West Mercia 966 726 724 804 926 729 899 698 681 
			 West Midlands 3,697 3,201 2,767 2,763 3,211 2,863 2,526 3,479 2,749 
			 West Yorkshire 2,534 2,227 2,197 1,473 3,062 2,217 2,480 1,932 2,052 
			 Wiltshire 529 366 372 212 290 538 356 532 501 
			 Total 50,152 48,751 50,649 45,573 50,902 46,123 51,287 44,754 45,323

Genetics: Databases

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of DNA profiles on the National DNA database relate to individuals aged  (a) under 16,  (b) 16 to 18,  (c) 19 to 20,  (d) 21 to 30,  (e) 31 to 40,  (f) 41 to 50,  (g) 51 to 60 and  (h) over 60 years, broken down by police force area; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: The information requested has been placed in the Library. The figures given are the number of subject sample profiles retained on the National DNA Database (NDNAD) at 25 October 2007 which were taken by forces in England and Wales only. They include over 26,000 subject sample profiles taken from volunteers. The data is based on the current age of the subjects as at 25 October 2007.
	It is currently estimated that 13.7 per cent, of profiles held on the NDNAD are replicates, i.e. that a profile for a person has been loaded on more than one occasion (one reason for this is that the person gave different names, or different versions of their name, on separate arrests). Thus, the number of individuals on the database is approximately 13.7 per cent. less than the number of subject profiles. The presence of these replicate profiles on the NDNAD does not impact on the effectiveness and integrity of the database. Nonetheless, a long-term exercise is under way to identify issues associated with the removal of all such redundant replicate profiles.

Genetics: Databases

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people whose DNA is held on the national database that have committed no offence are  (a) male and  (b) female; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Genetics: Databases

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children in  (a) the East of England and  (b) Suffolk have their DNA stored on a database; and how many of those have been charged with committing a criminal offence.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Heathrow Airport: Standards

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to reduce the levels of disruption caused by queues at Heathrow airport passport control.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Human Trafficking

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what incompatibilities there are between the requirements of the Council of Europe Convention on Action on Trafficking in Human Beings and domestic immigration legislation.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Human Trafficking: Cross Border Co-operation

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to adopt the Interpol global database system that allows border checks to be made on fraudulent documents as another method to tackle human trafficking.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Human Trafficking: EC Countries

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government plans to support the EU anti-trafficking hotline that is being established.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Illegal Immigrants

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants were found at each of the 57 ports of entry to the UK in each year since 2002.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested for 2002 is not available due to a change in our data collation systems in 2003. Locally collated management information for 2003 to 2006 is provided in Table 1. This data may be subject to change and does not represent National Statistics. These figures relate predominantly to clandestine entrants but may also include other categories of illegal entry.
	Illegal entry action is initiated against those people who are detected having entered or attempted to enter the country clandestinely or by means of deception, either verbal or documentary. These figures include those illegal entrants detected both at ports of entry and inland.
	National Statistics on the number of persons against whom illegal entry action was initiated are not separately identifiable from the total number of persons removed for periods from 2003 owing to data quality issues. 2004 figures were published in the command paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2004", but these were recalled the following year after a re-assessment of their quality found the figures to be unsuitable for publication as National Statistics.
	Official statistics on immigration matters are available from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	
		
			  Table 1: Illegal immigrants found at UK ports, 2003 to 2005( 1) 
			  Initiating Port/Local Enforcement Office  2003  2004  2005  2006  2003-06 
			 Aberdeen Immigration Service 70 18 6 — 94 
			 Ashford Immigration Ports Office 2 — — 1 3 
			 Belfast International Airport 4 1 — 1 6 
			 Birmingham International Airport — — 1 — 1 
			 Boston Lines 112 164 — — 276 
			 Cardiff International Airport — — 694 — 694 
			 Cheriton Immigration Ports Office — — — 7 7 
			 Dorset Ports Office 11 — 1 127 139 
			 Dover East Immigration Ports Office — 2 — — 2 
			 Dover Hoverport Immigration Port Office — — 309 — 309 
			 East Midlands Airport 19 25 3 — 47 
			 Edinburgh Airport Immigration Service 23 27 88 — 138 
			 Felixstowe 40 167 4 99 310 
			 Fishguard 5 1 — — 6 
			 Glasgow Airport 1 — — — 1 
			 Harwich Immigration Service 38 21 1 2 62 
			 Heathrow TN4 — — 14 — 14 
			 Hull 105 155 7 — 267 
			 Humberside Airport 134 77 1 28 240 
			 Leeds Bradford Airport 2 3 1 — 6 
			 Lerwick Immigration Service 2 — — — 2 
			 Lincoln 5 5 — — 10 
			 Liverpool John Lennon Airport — 1 35 1 37 
			 Newcastle Immigration Service 1 1 — — 2 
			 Newhaven Immigration Service 6 23 45 12 86 
			 North Shields Immigration Service 31 105 59 — 195 
			 Norwich Airport 26 10 — — 36 
			 Plymouth Immigration Service 13 50 109 80 252 
			 Plymouth Ports Office — — — 2 2 
			 Portsmouth Ports Office — — 40 75 115 
			 Ramsgate 1 — — 6 7 
			 Stansted Immigration Service Port — — — 1 1 
			 Tees Ports Office 11 27 — 20 58 
			 Teesside International Airport (old) 6 — — — 6 
			 Tilbury Ports Office — — — 9 9 
			 Waterloo Immigration Service — — — 7 7 
			 Total 1,307 2,943 3,411 5,640 13,301 
			 (1) The data provided is based on locally collated management information, which may be subject to change and does not represent published national statistics. 
		
	
	The Border and Immigration Agency also categorise four foreign ports as 'ports of entry' where we station offshore border controls. The number of illegal immigrants detected at these ports is as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2003-06 
			 Calais Ferryport Immigration Ports Office 3 1,006 1,965 3,722 6,696 
			 Calais Hoverport Immigration Ports Office — — — — 1 
			 Coquelles Immigration Ports Office 636 882 20 620 2,158 
			 Dunkerque Immigration Ports Office — 172 7 820 999

Illegal Immigrants

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were seized as stowaways in trucks in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Illegal Immigrants

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was raised from fines of drivers of vehicles carrying stowaways in each year since the inception of such fines.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigrants: Criminal Records

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many escapes there were from immigration detention centres in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; how many of those who escaped had criminal records; what categories of crimes they had committed; how many of them remain at large; how many of them who were recaptured had committed crimes while on the run; and what those crimes were.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 September 2007
	I am advised by officials that over the last 10 years the Border and Immigration Agency has overseen the removal of 501,600 people. The information readily available shows that 348 individuals have escaped in the detention process.
	Information on whether the individuals concerned had criminal records and for what categories of crime, the number of individuals remaining at large and whether any crimes have been committed by the individuals concerned is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral answer of 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 548, on inward migration, how many and what percentage of migrants to the UK were  (a) EEA nationals,  (b) non-EEA nationals,  (c) dependants and  (d) students in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration officers were located at  (a) Heathrow and  (b) Gatwick airports on 30 August (i) 2007, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2005, (iv) 2004, (v) 2003, (vi) 2002 and (vii) 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Immigration Controls

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent submissions she has received on UK embarkation controls; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigration Officers

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the 800 new immigration officers have been  (a) appointed and  (b) seconded from the police service; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: I will write to my hon. Friend.

Immigration Officers: Airports

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent immigration officers have been employed screening incoming passengers at  (a) Heathrow,  (b) Gatwick and  (c) Stansted in each of the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Immigration Officers: Airports

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets are set for maximum waiting times at  (a) EU and  (b) non-EU immigration desks at (i) Heathrow, (ii) Stansted and (iii) Gatwick; and what performance was achieved against these targets in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Immigration Officers: Police

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reply to Question 113924, on immigration officers, tabled by the hon. Member for Thurrock on 5 January 2007 for answer on 9 January 2007.

Liam Byrne: I will write to my hon. Friend.

Immigration Service

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what bonus payments were made to officials in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in each of the last five years; how much each such payment was worth; and what the total was of such payments.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Immigration: EC Countries

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what studies her Department has conducted into the  (a) potential effects of the impending transition of Schengen area EU states including Poland, Slovakia and Hungary on border control systems of nations such as Ukraine and  (b) knock-on impact on UK immigration policy.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigration: EC Countries

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment her Department has made of the likely effects of the impending transition of Schengen area EU states including Poland, Slovakia and Hungary on the unskilled and semi-skilled sectors of the UK labour markets.

Meg Hillier: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigration: France

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of levels of migration to the UK by individuals from French overseas departments and former French colonies since 2002.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigration: Heathrow Airport

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was at immigration for non-EEA citizens entering the UK via London Heathrow Terminal 1 in the first six months of 2007.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigration: Heathrow Airport

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was at immigration for non-EEA citizens entering the UK via London Heathrow Terminal 3 in the first six months of 2007.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigration: Heathrow Airport

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was at immigration for non-EEA citizens entering the UK via London Heathrow Terminal 2 in the first six months of 2007.

Liam Byrne: holding  answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigration: Heathrow Airport

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was at immigration for non-EEA citizens entering the UK via London Heathrow Terminal 4 in the first six months of 2007.

Liam Byrne: holding  answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Immigration: Gatwick Airport

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was at immigration for non-EEA citizens entering the UK via London Gatwick South Terminal in the first six months of 2007.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Woking dated 29 March 2007 regarding Mr. Evans, ref. N7737/7.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 9 July 2007
	I will write to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to  (a) the letter to her predecessor from the hon. Member for Woking dated 29 March 2007 regarding Mr. Evans N7737/7 (148492) and  (b) Question 148492 tabled by the hon. Member for Woking on 4 July 2007 on the same subject.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reply to the correspondence of 9 October 2007 from the hon. Member for Nottingham North on the report by Lord Stevens on "A commentary on the crime situation in Nottingham: celebrating success"; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: I will write to my hon. Friend.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reply to the letter of 25 September from the hon. Member for Walsall, North on a constituent, ref: B26912/7.

Liam Byrne: holding  answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects to reply to the letter of 26 September from the hon. Member for Walsall, North on a constituent, ref: M19351/7.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Merseyside Police: Modernisation

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has received on the compatibility of aspects of the restructuring of the Merseyside police with the framework laid down by her workforce modernisation agenda.

Tony McNulty: holding  answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Muktar Ibrahim

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral answer to the hon. Member for North-West Norfolk (Mr. Bellingham) on 11 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1437-38W, on Muktar Ibrahim, 
	(1)  what the basis was for her statement that Muktar Ibrahim's successful application for citizenship and the wiping off of his offences as a juvenile would not happen now; and to what statutory provisions she was making reference;
	(2)  what the legislative basis was for her statement that Muktar Ibrahim would have been deported from this country under new laws; and to what statutory provisions she was making reference.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Muktar Ibrahim

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to question 150410, on Muktar Ibrahim, tabled by the hon. Member for Ashford on 12 July.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Muktar Ibrahim

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to written question 150411, on Muktar Ibrahim, tabled by the hon. Member for Ashford on 12 July.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

Offenders: Deportation

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners were deported or removed from the UK in each year from 2002 to 2006; and how many have been deported or removed in 2007.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Offenders: Deportation

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners are subject to deportation notices.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Offenders: Deportation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners are subject to deportation notices.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. and learned Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Offenders: Deportation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners were deported or removed in each year from 2002 to 2006; and how many have been deported or removed in 2007.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. and learned Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Offensive Weapons: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to reduce levels of knife crime in Coventry since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Passports: Airports

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being introduced to cope with the situation of people arriving at airports in the UK without the passports with which they checked in at their departure airport.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Passports: Biometrics

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Prime Minister's statement of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 841-45, on national security, whether EU citizens will be regarded as foreign nationals for this purpose; whether a biometric passport is a satisfactory form of biometric ID for this purpose; and whether it will be an offence for a relevant person not to carry or be able to produce biometric ID.

Liam Byrne: Further to the Prime Minister's security statement of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 841-45, I can advise that UKvisas, the joint Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office directorate with responsibility for issuing visas to non-EEA nationals, are on track to roll-out the requirement that, by the end of March 2008, all visa nationals and all non-EEA nationals seeking to stay in the United Kingdom for more than six months, are required to provide their biometric data as part of the visa application process.
	The Prime Minister's statement also related to our plans in the UK Borders Bill to require non-EEA nationals subject to immigration control and already in the UK to apply for a 'Biometric Immigration Document'. This will be achieved incrementally with the process starting before the end of 2008. It will not be compulsory for a person to carry a 'Biometric Immigration Document' at all times following Government amendments to the UK Borders Bill.

Passports: Forgery

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what stage the Document Scanning Equipment with Forgery Detection Capability Tender for  (a) Heathrow,  (b) other airports and  (c) Eurotunnel has reached.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Police

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect of increasing population on the delivery of policing services in  (a) Government designated growth areas and  (b) Northamptonshire.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Armed Forces

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what schemes are in place to encourage forces personnel to join the police service.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Derbyshire

Dennis Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in Derbyshire  (a) retired and  (b) took ill-health retirement in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Doctors

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was to each police authority in England and Wales of employing healthcare professionals at custody suites in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Finance

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what data her Department uses to assess the numbers of economic migrants in police authority areas in England and Wales.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Finance

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what adjustments are made to the police formula grant for police authorities in  (a) England and  (b) Wales to take account of the numbers of economic migrants in a particular police authority area.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Finance

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department uses to estimate the numbers of tourists visiting police authority areas in England and Wales.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Finance

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what adjustments are made to the police formula grant in England and Wales to take account of the numbers of tourists visiting a particular police authority area.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Finance

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what total Government spending on policing per hundred thousand head of population is in each police authority area in 2007-08.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Manpower

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effect of budgetary plans on future police officer numbers, broken down by Government region; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Police: Witnesses

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officer days have been lost by each police force in England and Wales as a result of officers appearing as witnesses in court.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Prisoners: Compensation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what total sums were paid to foreign prisoners in compensation for unlawful detention in custody beyond the end of their sentences in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. and learned Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Prisoners: Deportation

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to seek the deportation of foreign prisoners from the date of their conviction; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding  answer 29 October 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Prisoners: Deportation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1248W, to the hon. Member for Ashford (Damian Green), on offenders: deportation, what steps she has taken to ascertain the nationality, residential status and right to remain in the United Kingdom of the 879 prisoners held in England and Wales whose nationality is classified as unknown.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. and learned Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Prisoners: Deportation

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safeguards are in place to ensure that deported convicted foreign nationals cannot return to the United Kingdom at a later date.

Liam Byrne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Prostitution

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men were  (a) arrested and  (b) prosecuted for paying for sex in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to my right hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Sexual Offences: Vetting

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the criteria are for the inclusion on the sex offenders list in England and Wales.

Vernon Coaker: It has not prove possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Smuggling: Firearms

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has received reports of illegal guns arriving in mainland Great Britain through the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Stop and Search

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the power to authorise stop and search for offensive weapons within a specified area for the period of 24 hours under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 was used by a senior police officer in each year since the Act came into force.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Stop and Search

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) training and  (b) written guidance is provided to police officers for the use of stop and search powers under (i) section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and (ii) section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Stop and Search

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many stop and searches were carried out by police under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 in each year since the Act's introduction; and how many and what percentage of those searches resulted in arrest.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Terrorism: Arrests

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been detained without charge on suspicion of terrorist offences for 28 days; and how many of these were  (a) charged and  (b) released without charge.

Jacqui Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Terrorism: Arrests

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any suspects detained without charge on suspicion of terrorist offences for 28 days and then released without charge have been subsequently re-arrested and charged with a terrorist offence.

Jacqui Smith: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Terrorism: Arrests

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many activists of organisations proscribed under terrorism legislation have been  (a) arrested,  (b) charged and  (c) convicted for offences under that legislation in each year since its introduction; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Vetting

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) basic and  (b) enhanced checks the Criminal Records Bureau undertook for each Government Department and executive agency in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many  (a) basic and  (b) enhanced checks the Criminal Records Bureau has undertaken for home inspectors and energy inspectors.

Meg Hillier: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) does not issue basic disclosures.
	In the year October 2006 to September 2007, the CRB has issued 66,459 enhanced disclosures to Government Departments and executive agencies. These are broken down as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Ofsted Early Years 42,385 
			 Ministry of Defence 13,085 
			 HM Prison Service 3,023 
			 Ministry Of Justice 2,216 
			 Magistrates Branch Lord Chancellors Department 1,905 
			 UK Immigration Service ISCAT 1,285 
			 Identity and Passport Service (IPS) 506 
			 Gambling Commission 439 
			 Childrens Directorate Ofsted Early Years 438 
			 Welsh Assembly Government 220 
			 Department For Children, Schools and Families 213 
			 Juvenile Offenders Unit 206 
			 Independent Monitoring Boards Secretariat 111 
			 Department For Children, Schools and Families 110 
			 HM Inspectorate of Probation 97 
			 National Probation Service Nottinghamshire 73 
			 The Royal Parks Agency 38 
			 National Probation Service North Wales Area 35 
			 The Royal Household 26 
			 Public Guardianship Office 15 
			 The Highways Agency 12 
			 Forestry Commission 9 
			 The Veterans Agency 5 
			 The Pension Service 3 
			 Central Interpreters Unit Border and Immigration Agency 1 
			 Child Support Agency 1 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 1 
			 The Planning Inspectorate 1 
		
	
	Neither home inspectors nor energy inspectors are eligible for enhanced disclosures under current legislation. However, home inspectors have qualified for standard disclosures since October 2006 and the CRB has processed 877 such disclosures. Criminal Records Bureau checks on energy assessors are carried out by CRB Scotland.

Work Permits

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1769W, on work permits, how many work permits in each category of work permit carrying an entitlement to settle in the UK were granted in each year since 2000; and for which sectors they were issued.

Liam Byrne: The granting and issue of a work permit does not carry an automatic entitlement to settle in the UK. Settlement applicants must meet the specific criteria and so it is not possible to provide information on the basis requested.

Work Permits: Health Professions

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1941W, on work permits: health professions, how many work permits were issued to doctors and nurses from foreign countries other than African states in each year from 1997 to 2006, broken down by country.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 8 October 2007
	The table placed in the Libraries of the House shows the number of work permit applications which were approved for overseas nationals during the period 1998 to 2006 (excluding African countries). Data for 1997 and 1998 are not available. There have been no approvals for Auxiliary Nurses.
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Written Questions

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to Question 123917, on staff exit schemes, tabled by the hon. Member for Putney for answer on 26 February.

Liam Byrne: I will write to the hon. Member.

TRANSPORT

A436: Cheltenham

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will provide funding  (a) to make improvements to the A436 around Cheltenham and  (b) to adopt other measures to reduce congestion in Cheltenham city centre.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 29 October 2007
	In the current financial year the Department for Transport has provided £20.788 million for transport in Gloucestershire. It is for the county council to determine how this funding is spent in line with the priorities and strategies identified in their second local transport plan. The plan identifies congestion as a problem in parts of the county, including around Cheltenham, but it is for the authority to decide whether spending on the A436 would address this.
	The south west region as a whole has not identified A436 improvements as a priority for major scheme investment through the regional funding allocation process.

Airports: Public Transport

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2007,  Official Report, column 228-29W, on airports: public transport, what steps she is taking to ensure capital and revenue funding is in place for AirTrack to ensure the scheme is implemented; what meetings she has held with BAA and Network Rail to resolve the funding issues; and when she expects a final decision to be made on funding the capital revenue costs of the scheme.

Tom Harris: Airtrack is a private sector proposal and it is for the promoters to make the case for the scheme. We will need to be satisfied both that the capital costs can be met and about the need for future revenue support. The Department has regular meetings with the promoters to keep in touch with progress.

Aviation: Terrorism

Ann Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many acts of terrorism or attempted terrorism against aircraft have involved the use of  (a) nail scissors and  (b) lip gloss.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport has no record of such incidents.

Car Sharing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations she and her predecessors have held on the use of High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes since 2004.

Tom Harris: No formal consultations have taken place. However, in the normal course of the Agency's day-to-day work, informal discussions on the feasibility of High Occupancy Vehicle lanes as a concept have been ongoing with interested parties such as motorists' organisations and freight and public transport operators.

Car Sharing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on the 2004 Highways Agency feasibility study into High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency spent approximately £36,000 on the feasibility study into High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes.

Crossrail Line: Finance

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is responsible for additional funding if the cost of Crossrail proves to be higher than the £16 billion budget.

Tom Harris: holding answer 16 October 2007
	The £16 billion budget for the project is a fully inclusive cost, allowing for both contingency and expected inflation. Both the underlying costings and the risks around those costings have been very carefully assessed and subjected to independent external review. The Government are confident that costs will be contained within budget.
	However, if costs should rise above that level and countervailing savings, or other revenue sources cannot be identified, then, recognising the scale of the project, Government would be the ultimate funder.

Crossrail Line: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she has had with Transport for London and the Mayor of London on the  (a) funding and  (b) construction of Crossrail.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State has regular meetings with both Transport for London and the Mayor of London to discuss such matters concerning transport in London, including Crossrail, as may be relevant at the time.

Crossrail Line: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much and what proportion of funding for Crossrail will come from  (a) public funding,  (b) supplementary business rates,  (c) additional business funding,  (d) future farebox projections and  (e) other sources; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how the financial risk for Crossrail will be managed; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what powers her Department has to monitor the building of Crossrail and to prevent any budget overruns.

Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1093W.

Crossrail Line: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contributions to the cost of Crossrail will be made by  (a) the Corporation of London,  (b) the Canary Wharf Group and  (c) BAA.

Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1093W.

Crossrail Line: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by whom possible cost over-runs on Crossrail would be met.

Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) today (UIN 158499).

Crossrail Line: Cost Effectiveness

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  by what means she plans to ensure that the Crossrail project offers best value for money in its construction and implementation;
	(2)  what financial controls she will place on those carrying out work on Crossrail.

Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1093W.

Departments: Assets

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what departmental assets are planned to be sold in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2010-11; what the  (a) description and  (b) book value of each such asset is; and what the expected revenue from each such sale is.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The requested information, where not commercially sensitive, has been placed in the Library of the House.

Departments: Consultants

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many consultants have been employed by her Department in 2006-07; how much has been paid to each consultant; and what the subject matter of consultancy for the Department was in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 417 different consultancies worked for the central Department and its agencies during financial year 2006-07 on commissions that have been recorded within the Department's accounting systems as consultancy.
	Lists showing the costs and nature of the work undertaken by these consultancies in 2006-07 have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	This updates the information provided to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 24 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1455W, the hon. Member for Epsom & Ewell (Chris Grayling) on 19 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1620W, and the right hon. Member for Oldham West & Royton (Mr. Meacher) on 12 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1580W.

Departments: Crossrail Line

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the responsibilities of  (a) her Department and  (b) the Mayor of London will be on oversight of Crossrail.

Tom Harris: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) on 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1093W.

Departments: Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions she and representatives of her Department have had with the Home Department and others on sharing data and identity management; and what the conclusions were of these discussions.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Secretary of State and representatives of her Department are involved in various discussions with the Home Office on matters including data and identity management issues where we have a common interest. Most of these discussions are around road safety and the related matter of road and traffic law enforcement, where the provision of relevant information by the Department to the police is a key mechanism for police effectiveness.
	We also contribute to discussions with the Home Office and its agencies on identity management to protect against identity fraud. These discussions are led by the Home Office, who are responsible for monitoring and reporting on progress.
	The Department has been involved in a number of wider collective and bilateral Ministerial and official meetings with Home Office and other Departments, including the former Ministerial Committee on Data Sharing (MISC31) and the Identity Management Strategy Group chaired by the Home Office.
	Sharing data to deliver Government objectives needs to be balanced with protecting privacy and maintaining public confidence that their personal data are adequately protected against misuse. Government take issues surrounding privacy very seriously. This is aligned with the publicly stated HM Government, Information Sharing Vision Statement, September 2006.

Departments: Design

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who the Ministerial Design Champion is; and what his or her role entails.

Tom Harris: I am the Department's Ministerial Design Champion. The role is one dedicated to achieving good urban design and I am supported by the chief executive of the Highways Agency who has responsibility for the design of road structures. Specific work related to the aesthetics of bridge design is undertaken and heritage issues are considered where appropriate.
	In support of this role the Department liaises with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).

Departments: Disabled People

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which buildings occupied by her Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport is a federated organisation comprising DfT (Central), the headquarters functions responsible mainly for policy issues, and seven executive agencies responsible for the delivery of various services.
	The following DfT(Central) buildings are fully accessible to disabled people:
	Great Minster House (London),
	Southside (London),
	Ashdown House (London),
	Ashdown House (Hastings),
	Temple Quay House (Bristol),
	Air Accidents Investigation Branch (Farnborough),
	Rail Accident Investigation Branch (Derby and Woking)
	The Marine Accident Investigation Branch's leased office accommodation, in Southampton (Carlton House) is not fully accessible to some categories of disabled people. The first floor is inaccessible to wheelchair users but some adjustments have been made to the ground floor.
	No central data is held of the number of buildings occupied by our executive agencies which are or are not considered to be fully accessible to disabled people and this information could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
	Where there are access difficulties for disabled people, the Department makes appropriate reasonable adjustments to its arrangements for the recruitment and employment of staff, and the services and functions it delivers to its users, in accordance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (as amended).

Departments: Internet

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by her Department on  (a) website creation and  (b) website management in the last 10 years; which of her Department's websites are due to close; how many will be closed in each year until 2011; how her Department plans to ensure that the public are made aware of these website closures; and whether all the information held on the websites due to close will be moved to Directgov.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No central list of website creation and running costs is available for the last 10 years and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Estimated running costs for departmental sites, where available, were previously provided to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 15 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 648-49W.
	The Department is currently undertaking a programme of website rationalisation under the Transformational Government Agenda.
	Information will be categorised into two main audience groups, citizens and business. Rationalising the number of websites across Government will help to make it easier for people to find the information they are looking for. Information for citizens will converge to Directgov (direct.gov.uk), information for businesses to Businesslink (businesslink.gov.uk) and corporate information to the DFT corporate site (dft.gov.uk). A list of sites identified for closure across central Government Departments was published in January this year in the Transformational Government Annual Report 2006 as part of the departmental website review:
	http://www.cio.gov.uk/transformational_government/annual_report 2006/.
	Updated figures were subsequently reported in the National Audit Office Government on the Internet Report published in July 2007.
	http://www.governmentontheweb.org/access_reports.asp
	There are currently 74 websites across the Department for Transport, its Executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and associated organisations which have been identified for closure. Information on these sites will converge to one or other of Directgov, Businesslink or the DFT corporate site.
	Discussions are ongoing between the Department, Directgov and Businesslink to finalise convergence plans for departmental sites and identify which will close in each year to 2011. The public will be made aware of site closure in a number of ways. Web addresses will be retained for an agreed period to point users to the new location for the information on either Directgov, Businesslink or the DFT corporate site. It may be appropriate for some content from a closed site to converge to more than one site depending on the intended audience. In such cases web address redirections and appropriate signposts will be put in place.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the name is of each special adviser in her Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Cabinet Office annual list of special adviser names will be published shortly.
	Special advisers to the Secretary of State for Transport are David Learn and Julie Crowley.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any of her Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the "Model Contract for Special Advisers". Copies of the "Model Contract" are available in the Libraries of the House.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by her Department on official hospitality in the last 12 months.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport spent £715,913.70 on hospitality from October 2006 to September 2007. This spend includes costs for refreshments provided at meetings and working lunches.
	The Highways Agency was not able to provide the information requested without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departments: Older Workers

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many employees in  (a) her Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by her Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested for the last calendar year is in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of staff employed 65 or over  Total number of applications received to continue working over the age of 65  Total number of successful applications to continue working over the age of 65 
			 DFT(Central) 0 0 0 
			 DSA (1)8 8 8 
			 VOSA 0 0 0 
			 HA 5 3 2 
			 VGA 1 1 1 
			 MCA 2 2 2 
			 DVLA 7 (2)— 7 
			 GCDA 12 12 12 
			 (1) The DVLA Agency do not keep records of the number of employees who apply to continue to work beyond state retirement age, as these are individual requests made through the line management structure and can be based on business needs.  (2) The DSA figure excludes "fee paid" driving examiners used on an ad-hoc basis. 
		
	
	The information requested is not available for non-departmental public bodies.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in which financial years since 2001 her Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The National Audit Office measures spending performance against plans by comparing outturns against final provision following supplementary estimates—rather than against plans at the start of the year—as plans can change during the year for a number of reasons, such as machinery of Government and classification changes. The definitive figures for final provision and provisional outturn are published each year in the Public Expenditure Outturns White Paper. Changes to plans arising in-year are published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, as are differences between provisional and final outturns.
	The Department for Transport was created in 2002 and since then, for all years, differences between outturns and plans were due to net underspends across a range of programmes. In 2003-04 provisional outturn was £303 million less than final provision, largely due to the Highways Agency improved methods of making provision for future land and property liabilities, and in 2006-07 £183 million less, mainly due to lower than projected capital expenditure by London and Continental Railways.

Departments: Written Questions

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her criteria are for replying to questions for written answer tabled by hon. Members by making reference to internet websites within the powers of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Current guidance to departmental staff is that where the information requested in parliamentary questions is easily available, such as in the House Libraries or on websites, hon. Members are advised accordingly.
	The Department is presently reviewing this guidance and revised instructions will be issued to staff following the completion of this review.

Driving Offences: Fines

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many penalty charge notices have been issued by each council in the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not available in the form requested.

Driving Offences: Fines

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue has been collected through penalty charge notices by each council in the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The data from Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn returns from local authorities in 2005-06 has been placed in the Libraries of the House. This was the first year in which specific information about income from penalty charges was collected from local authorities.

Driving Offences: Fines

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many recorded challenges against penalty charge notices there were in each of the last five years; and how many of these were successful.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not available in the form requested.

Driving Tests: Interpreters

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many practical driving tests were conducted with an interpreter in the car in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of practical car tests conducted with an interpreter accompanying the candidate in each of the last three financial years is as follows:
	
		
			   Category B  Category B1  Category B+E  Total 
			 2004-05 20,492 4 36 20,532 
			 2005-06 14,481 1 4 14,486 
			 2006-07 15,199 5 4 15,208 
			  Notes:  1. Category B = Cars  2. Category B1 = Motor tricycles and quadricycles, three or four wheeled vehicles with an unladen weight not exceeding 550kg.  3. Category B+E = Combinations of a Category b vehicle and a trailer over 750kg. 
		
	
	The Department intends to consult on the use of foreign language translation in driving theory and practical tests later this year.

Driving Tests: Languages

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving theory tests were conducted in a language other than English or Welsh in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Figures are not available for before April 2005. In the last two financial years, the number of driving theory tests conducted in a language other than English or Welsh was:
	
		
			   Car  Motorcycle  Total 
			 2005 - 06 83,438 269 83,707 
			 2006 - 07 92,397 391 92,788 
		
	
	The Department intends to consult on the use of foreign language translation in driving theory and practical tests later this year.

Heathrow Airport: Noise

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether analysis of the costs and benefits of Heathrow expansion was taken into account in the findings of the latest Attitudes to Noise from Aircraft Sources study; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No. The Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England study focuses on noise issues. It is not related to specific airport developments and does not compare noise with other impacts of aviation.
	The findings will be based on the responses to social surveys undertaken at sites around a number of airports across England.
	It has therefore never been the intention that the study should take account of wider issues specifically related to Heathrow, or any other airport.

Heathrow Airport: Noise

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the findings of the latest Attitudes to Noise from Aircraft Sources study will be used in relation to the forthcoming consultation on Heathrow expansion; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We intend to release the Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England (ANASE) Report, together with the comments of peer reviewers shortly.

Lighthouses: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the General Lighthouse Fund  (a) received from and  (b) paid to the Commissioners of Irish Lights in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The information requested is set out in the table.
	
		
			  £000 
			   2006 - 07  2005 - 06  2004 - 05  2003 - 04  2002 - 03  2001 - 02  2000 - 01  1999 -20 00  1998 - 99  1997 - 98 
			  (a) Amounts received by the General Lighthouse Fund (GLF) from The Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) 
			 1. Light dues collected in Ireland and remitted to the GLF   
			 Collected in the Republic of Ireland 3,127 3,248 3,037 3,465 3,358 3,080 3,424 3,440 3,043 2,561 
			 Collected in Northern Ireland 539 594 586 586 610 660 600 620 505 606 
			  3,666 3,842 3,623 4,051 3,968 3,740 4,024 4,060 3,548 3,167 
			
			 2. Irish Government Supplement paid to CIL and remitted to the GLF 3,937 3,728 3,893 2,851 2,202 1,991 1,590 1,164 1,593 1,639 
			 3. Commercial Income generated by CIL 496 758 555 560 241 193 173 180 167 149 
			 Total 8,099 8,329 8,071 7,462 6,411 5,924 5,787 5,404 5,308 4,954 
			  (b) Payments from General Lighthouse Fund to CIL 
			 Advances from GLF to cover CIL costs(1) 20,150 19,677 19,681 18,002 15,919 15,269 12,539 13,340 11,398 13,218 
			 (1) Excludes costs for Dun Laoghaire Building Project in years 2006-07 and 2005-06 as these costs were met from the proceeds of the sale of the CIL Headquarters Building in central Dublin in July 2007.

M3: Noise

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the number of households between junctions 5 and 7 of the M3 adversely affected by noise from the motorway, broken down by decibel level; when plans for implementing noise reduction measures on this stretch of the motorway will be implemented; whether these plans have changed over the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The following table shows the Highways Agency's assessment of the actual number of households between junctions 5 and 7 of the M3 adversely affected by noise from the motorway, broken down by decibel level.
	
		
			   Noise level dB 
			  Side  68-69  69-70  70-71  71-72  72-73  73-74  74-75  75-76  76+ 
			  Section J5-J6  
			 West/northbound 11 10 10 6 4 5 2 1 0 
			 East/southbound 7 5 7 3 1 0 0 1 0 
			 Both 18 15 17 9 5 5 2 2 0 
			   
			  Section J6-J7  
			 West/northbound 59 70 39 55 37 26 17 32 27 
			 East/southbound 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 4 1 
			 Both 59 70 39 55 38 26 19 36 28 
		
	
	Three locations, Hatch Warren, Black Dam and Hatch, have been provided with noise barriers. There are two further locations, Mapledurwell and Up Nately, which are being investigated for the possible provision of noise barriers. These lower priority sites will be considered for the programme to commence after 2009-10 subject to the availability of funds.
	Plans for implementing noise reduction measures on this stretch of the motorway have not changed over the past five years.

Ministerial Duties

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Minister has responsibility for  (a) the Government Car and Dispatch Agency,  (b) Passenger Focus,  (c) legislative priorities,  (d) relations with devolved administrations,  (e) freedom of information,  (f) deregulation and  (g) finance in her Department; and for what reasons these roles were not set out in the Cabinet Office List of Ministerial Responsibilities, October 2007.

Jim Fitzpatrick: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport oversees all policy areas within the Department for Transport, as was specified in the Cabinet Office List of Ministerial Responsibilities. This includes legislative priorities and finance. My colleague, the hon. Member for Glasgow, South (Mr. Harris) leads on rail, including passenger focus. My own responsibilities include the Safety Service Delivery and Logistics Group Agencies, the Government Car and Dispatch Agency being one of these, and better regulation. All Ministers take responsibility for relations with the devolved Administrations and freedom of information as they apply to their areas.

Motor Vehicles: Crime

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent meetings she has attended at which vehicle crime was discussed.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Ministers and officials have regular meetings with interested groups at which vehicle crime is discussed.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had on  (a) improving the MOT fee-setting process and  (b) the possible deregulation of fees for MOTs.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department is intending to consult on MOT testing policy including on whether or not there should be any changes in how test fees are set. There have been the usual discussions within Government and informally with stakeholders as part of this process.

Motor Vehicles: Travel

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorists in the  (a) London,  (b) Surrey county council,  (c) Hampshire county council and  (d) Isle of Wight council area used their vehicles for (i) less than five miles, (ii) between five and 25 miles and (iii) more than 25 miles in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The table shows the percentage of car driver trips by residents of London, Surrey and Hampshire which are (a) less than five miles, (b) five to less than 25 miles and (c) 25 miles and over for 2002-06(1), based on data from the National Travel Survey. It is not possible to produce reliable estimates for the Isle of Wight using data from this survey.
	(1) Data for several years have been combined in some cases to increase the sample size.
	
		
			  Car driver trips per person per year by trip length, 2002-06 
			  Percentage 
			   Under five miles  Five to under 25 miles  25 miles and over  All lengths 
			  London 
			 2002 59 35 6 100 
			 2003 60 34 6 100 
			 2004 62 33 5 100 
			 2005 62 32 6 100 
			 2006 62 32 6 100 
			  
			  Surrey 
			 2002-03 53 40 7 100 
			 2003-04 56 38 7 100 
			 2004-05 57 37 6 100 
			 2005-06 55 38 7 100 
			  
			  Hampshire 
			 2002-03 52 41 7 100 
			 2003-04 52 41 7 100 
			 2004-05 51 40 8 100 
			 2005-06 52 40 8 100 
		
	
	It is not possible to estimate the number of motorists making trips of different lengths using the data available.

Motorways: Noise

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding was made available for motorway noise reduction schemes in each year since 1997; and what funding will be made available for each of the next three years.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency has a policy of using quieter surfaces as a matter of course whenever a road needs to be resurfaced. Budgets for noise reduction measures on these schemes are not generally separately identifiable.
	Since 1999-2000 the agency's budget has included an annual £5 million ring-fenced allocation to provide noise mitigation measures in the most serious and pressing cases, where practical and cost-effective measures can be provided.
	The aforementioned measures apply to the entire strategic road network, not just the motorways element.
	The Highways Agency is currently considering the composition of its investment programmes for each of the next three years following the outcome of the comprehensive spending review.

Public Transport: Tickets

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to encourage the use of smartcards as means of paying for public transport in the UK.

Rosie Winterton: The Department sponsored development of the ITSO specifications for interoperable smart card ticketing. This will enable consumers to benefit from a more consistent interface to public transport and the ability to use one card across many different transport operators and schemes in the UK.
	Support has been provided for early implementation by local authorities. The NoWcard scheme in the north west has been rolling out over the past year. Existing schemes in Cheshire, Nottinghamshire and Southampton are in the process of introducing ITSO based smartcards.
	All new rail franchises now include a requirement to introduce tickets on smartcards to the ITSO specification. The Government believe that the introduction of ITSO smartcards on the railway will make it easier for passengers to buy their tickets at a time and place to suit them and to offer more flexible ticketing. It also opens up the opportunities to better integrate ticketing between transport modes.
	From April 2008, the national concessionary bus travel pass for older and disabled people in England will be in a smartcard format and be ITSO compliant.

Public Transport: Tickets

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure interoperability between the Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation and Oyster smart cards on the public transport network.

Rosie Winterton: In May 2006 the Secretary of State and Mayor of London announced that they intended to enable the Oyster network in London to accept ITSO smart cards, as well as to enable mainline railway stations in London to accept Oyster Pay As You Go.
	A project is under way to deliver interoperability between Oyster and ITSO in London and to meet rail franchise commitments. When it is completed the entire Transport for London transport network should be able to accept ITSO based smartcards.

Railways: Fares

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the reasons are for recent increases in rail fares; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Government regulate rail fares that cover most commuter tickets and saver tickets (long distance, off-peak fares).
	More than half of rail journeys are made on a regulated ticket, and around 80 per cent. of passengers buy either a regulated or discounted ticket. Regulated fares are now on average 1.6 per cent. cheaper in real terms than they were in 1995.
	Regulated fares will remain capped at RPI + 1 per cent. as the Government made clear in July's Rail White Paper.
	Unregulated fares are a matter for the train operators, but increases are kept under review by Government.

Railways: Fares

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions her officials have had with train operating companies on the effect on fares of increases in franchise premia payments.

Tom Harris: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Railways: Fires

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fires there were on trains in each of the last five years for which data is available; how many of these fires  (a) were judged to be a risk to human life when they broke out,  (b) resulted in loss of life and  (c) were connected with train crashes; and how many lives were lost on each occasion.

Tom Harris: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Train fires 2002-06 
			   Number of train fires 
			 2002 301 
			 2003 271 
			 2004 298 
			 2005 148 
			 2006 164 
		
	
	The data is for all railways and tramways in Great Britain, and is based on incidents reported to the Office of Rail Regulation's HM Railway Inspectorate, under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95).
	For the period covered, there was one reportable fatality. A guard was overcome by smoke attempting to extinguish a fire on board a train, which had been started by arsonists. The incident occurred at Purley on the 5 July 2002.
	HM Railway Inspectorate classify train accidents as:
	Collisions between rolling stock.
	Derailments of rolling stock.
	Trains running into obstructions.
	Fires on board trains.
	Missile damage to drivers cab windows.
	In instances where a train is involved in a collision and a subsequent fire results, the accident is categorized as a collision rather than a fire (e.g. the Ladbroke Grove railway accident 5 October 1999). Therefore information is not available to answer part c of the question.

Railways: Franchises

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the criteria are for awarding the East Coast Main Line rail franchise; and how the Grand Central franchise affects the East Coast Main Line franchise.

Tom Harris: The franchise was awarded to the bid which offered the overall best value for money based upon the deliverability of the bid.
	The Grand Central Franchise does not have any impact on the level of service to be provided by the InterCity East Coast franchise. Bidders were instructed to take full account of Grand Central rights in constructing their bid.

Railways: Greater London

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she or officials from her Department have had meetings with Transport for London in the last six months to discuss new funding arrangements following the Metronet administration and the approval of Crossrail.

Rosie Winterton: Ministers and officials from the Department have met with Transport for London over the past six months to discuss Transport for London funding as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007. This has included discussions on Crossrail and on Metronet's administration.

Railways: Inspections

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regular safety inspections and certification procedures are carried out on trains; and whose responsibility it is to ensure that these are carried out so that all rolling stock meets safety standards.

Tom Harris: It is the responsibility of every train operator to ensure that their rolling stock meets appropriate safety standards.
	Under the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 railway companies must have their safety management systems certified by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR). Their safety management systems should include procedures for carrying out risk assessments and selecting and implementing control measures including, where appropriate, inspection and certification.
	ORR's Railway Inspectorate carries out inspections to ensure that railway companies reduce risks so far as is reasonably practicable.

Railways: Nuneaton

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations she has received on train journey times from Nuneaton to London outside the rush hour; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Harris: A number of representations have been received from passengers, a rail user group, local authorities and MPs whose constituents use Nuneaton station. Concern has been expressed over changes to train services from December 2008. This will mean that, in the off peak, the link with London and other key destinations will be provided by a semi fast service. Reassurances have been given that the station will still have links with all the present destinations reached from Nuneaton and indeed will have an increased range of journey opportunities.

Railways: Safety Measures

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether new guidance to train operating companies published by the Rail Safety Standards Board on break-glass hammers or safety windows will apply to existing rolling stock.

Tom Harris: The Rail Safety and Standards Board is initiating the process to amend the existing industry Railway Group Standard (RGS) relating to the use of break-glass hammers or train safety windows, following the publication of its research report into passenger containment in rail accidents. The RGS amendment process provides a public consultation mechanism.
	RGSs do not normally mandate changes retrospectively. It is for railway health and safety duty holders to choose whether or not they decide voluntarily to do so.

Repairs and Maintenance: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how £144 million will be saved by her Department through standardising and tightening major maintenance contracts, as described in the pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The major maintenance contracts referred to in Annexe D3.5 of the pre-Budget report and comprehensive spending review are the Highways Agency's contracts for routine maintenance, winter maintenance and asset renewal for the motorways and trunk roads in England. Maintenance accounts for a substantial portion of the Highways Agency annual spend, hence the magnitude of the anticipated efficiency savings.
	Since 2000, the Highways Agency has made radical changes to its maintenance contracts, increasing their size, combining functions into a single service provider contract, and adopting a performance based specification. This process has encouraged greater efficiency from suppliers. These measures have already achieved efficiency savings of some £80 million per annum.
	The past process of contract evolution has led to different versions of the contract for each maintenance area. Also, service levels have generally been increased in recent years providing, for example, better support for dealing with incidents on the network and reducing the disruptive impact of road works. There is an opportunity now to achieve further savings by applying a standardised contract across the network and by optimising the value for money from these service levels.

Roads: Construction

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many lane kilometres of  (a) motorways and  (b) non-motorway trunk roads were built in each of the last 30 years.

Tom Harris: The Highways Agency does not hold records of the breakdown of motorway and non-motorway trunk road lane km added to the network since 1977, but does hold some information for the years since 1997.
	The Highways Agency does not currently have the data since 1997 verified on a scheme by scheme basis or broken down between motorways and non-motorway trunk roads. The Highways Agency is working on this currently and the breakdown of information is expected to be completed following Christmas recess.
	I will write to the hon. Member with the information when it is available and place a copy of my letter, and the tables, in the Libraries of the House.

Roads: Finance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department  (a) budgeted for and  (b) spent on road maintenance in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Over the last five years, the Highways Agency has budgeted, and spent, the following amounts on road maintenance.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Budget  Spend 
			 2002-03 740 760 
			 2003-04 748 726 
			 2004-05 730 732 
			 2005-06 865 852 
			 2006-07 862 850 
		
	
	The Department provides capital funding to local highway authorities in England (except London), to support the highways maintenance aspects of their local transport plans. The sums allocated for the period 2002-03 to 2006-07 are as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2002-03 545 
			 2003-04 546 
			 2004-05 634 
			 2005-06 634 
			 2006-07 674 
		
	
	The Department also supports English local authorities (in this case, including London boroughs) that have entered into private finance initiative (PFI) contracts for highways maintenance, including street lighting maintenance schemes, by providing credits to cover the cost of increased capital funding. The total sums disbursed by the Department were as follows:
	
		
			   Budget/spend (£ million) 
			 2002-03 0.3 
			 2003-04 1.8 
			 2004-05 7.7 
			 2005-06 12.6 
			 2006-07 22.6 
		
	
	As these sums are only provided against agreed contracts, the budget and spend figures are the same.
	In addition, we have funded a number of major maintenance projects, each of which costs over £5 million. In total, these projects were allocated the following budgets at the start of each year, together with the actual in-year spend of:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Budget  Spend 
			 2002-03 12.3 12.3 
			 2003-04 9.6 9.6 
			 2004-05 6.1 6.4 
			 2005-06 6.6 13.4 
			 2006-07 9.1 13.3

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason each road project categorised on the Highway Agency's website as on hold is so categorised.

Tom Harris: The 21 projects listed as "on hold" on the Highways Agency (HA) website comprise eight major schemes (two of which were in the Government's national roads programme and six which were being prepared for programme entry) and 13 Route Management Strategies.
	None of the eight schemes were prioritised for funding by the relevant regional bodies in their advice to Government and they were put on hold by the HA following the Regional Funding Allocations announcement in July 2006. Regional Funding Allocations will be reviewed in due course and regional bodies will have an opportunity to revisit their advice on priorities.
	The Route Management Strategies set out a long- term assessment of route capability and priorities for service improvements. The Highways Agency is now developing its forward planning on a regional basis through the recent publication of the Regional Network Reports available on the Highways Agency website.

Roads: Tolls

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects a national road pricing scheme to be implemented.

Rosie Winterton: Tackling urban congestion is our priority, and congestion charging has a role in this, backed by investment in public transport. While it is possible that road pricing could have the potential to be extended to include parts of our national networks, that is a decision for the future, informed by the development of local schemes, including London, and clear answers to the technological and system challenges.

Roads: Tolls

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken by her Department in relation to  (a) research into,  (b) development of and  (c) preparation for a national road pricing scheme.

Rosie Winterton: Sir Rod Eddington has said that, without action, there will be a 30 per cent. increase in congestion on our roads by 2025, increasing costs to business by over £10 billion a year, so it is important that we explore road pricing seriously. Congestion charging, backed by investment in public transport, has a role in tackling urban congestion. While it is possible that road pricing could have the potential to be extended to include parts of our national networks, that is a decision for the future, informed by the development of local schemes, including London. We need to find clear answers to the technological and system challenges. The Department is working with industry to explore the role that more advanced technologies and systems could play in supporting schemes. Any road pricing system would need to be robust and trusted by road users. It is important that we demonstrate, for example, how we would deliver safeguards on privacy and against fraud before taking any decisions in the future. The Demonstrations Project was announced by the then Secretary of State on 10 May 2006.

Roads: Tolls

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff have been employed by her Department to work on research, development and preparation for a national road pricing scheme over the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Over the last five years, dedicated effort on road pricing in the UK began with a team of five in the Department for Transport working on the Road Pricing Feasibility Study, in summer 2003. Since then, the number of Departmental staff wholly engaged on all aspects of road pricing policy, including work with local authorities on proposals for local schemes, has increased to 22 in 2007-08.

Rolling Stock: Expenditure

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on rolling stock for  (a) inter-city services,  (b) commuter services in London and the south east and  (c) local regional rail services in each of the last 10 years.

Tom Harris: holding answer 22 October 2007
	 : The information is not held in the form requested. However, approximate figures for the capital investment in rolling stock vehicle procurement at a national level in the last 10 years are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Inter City  Commuter  Other 
			 1996 — 11 — 
			 1997 — 316 33 
			 1998 448 123 373 
			 1999 663 10 37 
			 2000 — 119 9 
			 2001 — 686 20 
			 2002 161 953 8 
			 2003 200 60 103 
			 2004 — 125 — 
			 2005 — 242 — 
			 2006 — 220 — 
			 2007 — 254 — 
		
	
	Contracts for new rolling stock are between the rolling stock operating companies and the train operating companies, rather than the Department, who are not a party to these contracts.

South West Trains: Overcrowding

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the likely effect on passenger in excess capacity figures of the increase in capacity on South West Trains following the start of the new franchise in February 2007, with particular reference to trains travelling between Basingstoke and London.

Tom Harris: The capacity increases that the operator is required to achieve during the life of the South West Trains franchise are specified in terms of the additional seats to be provided rather than passengers in excess of capacity. The franchise requirement is for 21 per cent. more mainline peak seats by the end of the franchise and 20 per cent. increased capacity on peak time suburban trains.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Diplomatic Relations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic approaches have been made towards the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: The UK supports President Karzai's efforts to bring disaffected Afghans into society's mainstream, providing they renounce violence and accept Afghanistan's constitution. In this context the UK has provided funds for the reconciliation programme, Programme Takhim-e-Solh.

Africa: EC External Relations

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European Union counterparts on the forthcoming EU-Africa summit and the possible attendance of Zimbabwe's President Mugabe; what the outcome was of these discussions; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: holding answer 10 September 2007
	We are committed to the EU-Africa relationship and want the summit to go ahead and to deliver real results for Europe and Africa on critical issues such as peacekeeping and security, climate change, better governance and the millennium development goals. In our contacts with all EU member states we continue to make clear that President Mugabe's presence would undermine any attempt to address these key issues. I have had discussions in particular with the Foreign Ministers of France, Sweden, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Ireland and Romania on this issue and raised it at successive meetings of EU Foreign Ministers. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, has had other meetings with EU states at which this issue has been discussed. We will continue to urge our EU and African partners to find an alternative solution on attendance. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has already made his position clear. Neither he nor any senior Government Minister will attend the summit if President Mugabe is present.

Burma: Forced Labour

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is open to the UK to refer Burma to  (a) the International Court of Justice and  (b) any other international body for persistent use of forced labour; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Burma: Human Rights

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to help to improve the human rights of the people of Burma.

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking in response to the imprisonment of human rights activists in Burma; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I refer my hon. Friends to the replies I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry South (Mr. Cunningham) on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 818-9W.

Burma: Overseas Trade

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what UK business interests his Department has ascertained are held in Burma.

Meg Munn: We do follow reports of companies activities produced by the UN, non-governmental organisations and other organisations. We monitor the level of UK corporate activities through statistics from the Office of National Statistics and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, which show that trade and investment in Burma has fallen in recent years.
	Contrary to some reports, the UK is not the second largest investor in Burma. UK investment in Burma is negligible. The Office for National Statistics figures for current active UK investment are very low; indeed they have no returns suggesting any UK direct investment in Burma as of the end of 2005.
	In terms of total imports of goods from Burma, the UK currently ranks second in the EU after Germany. However, the value of imports from Burma to the UK halved between 2004 and 2005. In the eight months to August 2007, UK imports of goods from Burma were £19 million and exports totalled £2 million.

Chad: Politics and Government

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the  (a) security and  (b) human rights situation in Eastern Chad since the state of emergency declared on 16 October.

Jim Murphy: We are aware of reports of violence in Goz Beida, eastern Chad on 18 October, following the Government of Chad's declaration of a state of emergency on 16 October. We are seriously concerned about the continuing conflict between the Chadian army and rebel groups in eastern Chad and the reports we have seen of inter-ethnic violence. These clashes risk worsening the humanitarian crisis and further destabilising the region.
	In response to the continuing security and humanitarian crisis in Chad, in September the UK co-sponsored United Nations Security Council Resolution 1778, which authorises the deployment of a European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) force and a UN multi-dimensional mission to Chad. The force's 12 month mandate is to contribute to protecting refugees and displaced persons in eastern Chad, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and contribute to protecting the UN operation. The UN operation is intended to build the capacity of the Chadian police to protect refugees and internally displaced persons and help create a more secure environment in eastern Chad. The overall aim of the joint operation is to create the conditions necessary for voluntary, secure and sustainable return of refugees and internally displaced persons. The ESDP mission is a bridging force until the UN itself is able to deploy a peace- keeping mission and is planned to deploy by the end of the year.

China: Press Freedom

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 13W, on China: press freedom, what steps he has taken to encourage the Chinese authorities to ensure freedom of movement and expression in China for both domestic and international press  (a) in the run-up to the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and  (b) afterwards.

Meg Munn: We continue to encourage China to ensure that new regulations for foreign correspondents remain in force after the Olympic Games, and lift restrictions on domestic journalists. The then Prime Minister, the right hon. Tony Blair, and the then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Tessa Jowell), raised media freedom with the Head of China's Information Office for the State Council when he visited London in April. The then Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett), stressed the importance of freedom of expression during a visit to Beijing on 17 May. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch Brown, raised the issue with his counterpart in Beijing in August. We also raise freedom of expression through the EU, and did so at the EU-China Human Rights Dialogues in May and October.

China: Press Freedom

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings  (a) he and  (b) his Ministers have had with Chinese officials at which media freedom was discussed in the last three years.

Meg Munn: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998.

Meg Munn: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has taken steps to ensure that its buildings are as fully accessible to disabled people as is reasonably practicable. Where there are access difficulties for disabled people, the FCO makes appropriate reasonable adjustments in accordance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Meg Munn: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Older Workers

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and its Executive Agencies abolished mandatory retirement ages for all UK-based staff below the senior management structure (SMS) in July 2006. Since then staff in the delegated grades have been free to choose when to leave the Department. We do not require them to apply to continue working beyond any fixed age.
	The civil service maintains a centrally-set default retirement age of 65 for staff in the senior civil service (SCS)/SMS. Neither the FCO, nor its Executive agencies, received any applications in the past year from SMS/SCS staff wishing to work beyond the age of 65.
	Appointments to non-departmental public bodies supported by the FCO are made independently of the FCO. We do not hold staff records for them.
	The FCO is committed to promoting age equality in the workplace.

Departments: Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of Questions tabled to his Department for answer on a named day received a substantive reply on the day named in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Meg Munn: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office was tabled 638 named day parliamentary questions from 20 November 2006 to 25 October 2007. Of those, 523 parliamentary questions (82 per cent.) received a substantive reply on the day named.

EC Reform: Treaties

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which articles in the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe have been  (a) retained (i) in full and (ii) in amended form and  (b) omitted from the draft EU reform treaty; and which articles in the draft EU reform treaty were not in the Treaty establishing a constitution for Europe.

David Miliband: holding answer 17 September 2007
	The draft treaty establishing a constitution for Europe is now defunct. The inter-governmental conference mandate records the agreement of all 27 heads that:
	"The constitutional concept....is abandoned".
	The constitutional treaty was legally unprecedented. It would have abolished the EU and refounded it under a single, constitutional order. The reform treaty by contrast, amends the existing treaties—just like the Single European Act, Maastricht, Nice and Amsterdam.
	The Government have secured extra safeguards on each of the four red lines set out ahead of the June European Council. I wrote to the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee on 11 and 18 October setting out how the Government's four red lines have been met in the latest draft of the reform treaty. These letters have been placed in the Library of the House.

EU Reform: Treaties

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which occasions  (a) focal points met to discuss the inter-governmental conference (IGC) mandates and  (b) ministers met their counterparts to discuss the IGC; whether those meetings were bilateral or multilateral; what representations of positions and discussions occurred at those meetings; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: As I set out in evidence during my appearances before the Foreign Affairs Committee on 12 September and the European Scrutiny Committee on 4 July and 2 October, the draft mandate for the Reform Treaty Inter-governmental Conference (IGC) was circulated for the first time at the meeting of all focal points on 19 June. Ministerial discussion of the draft IGC mandate took place at the European Council on 21-22 June. The Government set out their general approach to agreeing a new Treaty in the written ministerial statement issued by the then Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon), on 5 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 10-11WS, and the then Prime Minister, the right hon. Tony Blair, explained the Government's priorities before the Parliamentary Liaison Committee on 18 June. Ministers hold regular discussions with EU partners on many issues, including EU Institutional issues.

European General Affairs and External Relations Council

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many votes took place at the European General Affairs and External Relations Council in each of the last 12 months; how many times the British Government  (a) applied a veto,  (b) voted negatively and  (c) abstained in such votes in each month; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

France: Civil Partnerships

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government has had with the French government on transposing rights in UK civil partnerships into the French system of legal recognition of civil partnerships for UK civil partners living in France.

Jim Murphy: The Government have not had any discussions with the French Government on this issue.

HMS Sussex

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what point negotiations with the Spanish government have reached on the recovery of material from the wreck of HMS Sussex, sunk off Gibraltar.

Jim Murphy: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation his Department has undertaken with the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in relation to the Chief Executive's Green Paper on Constitutional Development, published in July 2007; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Green Paper on Constitutional Development produced by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in July; what Government policy is in regard to the proposals for China's future role in Hong Kong's constitutional affairs; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Iran: Terrorism

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications of the recent conclusion by the Financial Action Task Force on the Islamic Republic of Iran's lack of comprehensive anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism regime represents a significant vulnerability within the international financial system; and what steps the UK will be advocating in this regard.

David Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Iraq: Resettlement

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the adequacy of cooperation between Government departments involved in offering assistance to Iraqi staff working and who have worked for the Government; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Iraq: Resettlement

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what written guidance has been provided on the implementation of the Government's policy of assistance to locally-employed Iraqi staff for British staff employed in the British embassies in  (a) Iraq,  (b) Egypt,  (c) Iran,  (d) Syria and  (e) Lebanon; and if he will place copies in the Library.

David Miliband: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Scotland

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received any representation from the Scottish Executive on it being represented by Scottish Ministers on an observer basis at future Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty discussions.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not received any such representations. Under the Scotland Act 1998, Foreign Affairs including International Relations, are a reserved matter. Defence is also a matter reserved by the Scotland Act. Scotland is an integral part of the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom is a State Party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Scotland is not eligible therefore for separate observer status.

Poland: Environment Protection

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 June 2007,  Official Report, columns 853-54W, on Poland: environment protection, whether the Government plan to make an intervention to the European Court of Justice in the case of the European Commission and Poland on the construction of the Augustow and Wasilkow road bypasses following the publications of details in the Commission's  Official Journal on 25 August.

Jim Murphy: On July 31 2007 the construction work of Via Baltica in Rospuda Valley was stopped. The outgoing Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Law and Justice Party, (Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc (PiS)) announced that work would continue on other sections of the planned route, without any damage to the whole investment.
	The Polish Government still has to wait for the European Court of Justice's (ECJ) decision on the proposed route via Rospuda. It may take up to one and a half years as the ECJ has rejected Poland's request to deal with the issue in an urgent six-month mode.
	It is difficult to predict what may happen during this time following recent elections and the change of Prime Minister. Press reports suggest the new Government of Civic Platform may change the plans chosen by the PiS to avoid Natura 2000 areas in the Rospuda Valley. The decision is to be postponed until after social and environmental consultations.
	Details about the case were published in the  Official Journal on 25 August. The UK's deadline for applying to intervene in order to submit a statement in intervention expired on 16 October. No Departments have expressed an interest in intervening in the case and therefore the Government do not currently plan to make an intervention in the case.

Serbia: International Whaling Commission

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10tOctober 2007,  Official Report, column 677W, on Serbia: International Whaling Commission, what plans his Department has to seek to persuade  (a) the Serbian government and  (b) other European governments which are not yet members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to join the IWC and vote for whale conservation.

Meg Munn: Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs officials have identified a number of European countries, including Serbia, as possible candidates for the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Our embassies in these countries lobbied their host countries prior to the 2007 annual meeting of the IWC; Serbia most recently in March 2007. Embassies in the region will be lobbying further before the next annual meeting of the IWC.

Sri Lanka: Immigration

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Rule 39 applications were lodged with the European Court of Human Rights by Tamils facing removal from the UK to Sri Lanka in each month since October 2006.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not hold statistics for the number of Rule 39 applications lodged with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). This is a matter for the Court. However, from October 2006 to 25 October 2007, the ECHR has notified the FCO of 38 Rule 39 indications, one each in April, and June 2007, followed by 12 in September, and 24 in October concerning Tamils facing removal from the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka.

Sudan: Peacekeeping operations

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has made to the recent report of the United Nations Secretary-General on the deployment of the African Union-United Nations hybrid operation in Darfur; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1769 requires the UN Secretary-General to report to the Security Council every 30 days on progress in deploying the African Union (AU)/UN hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID). He issued his first report on 9 October. The report shows that the UN has made progress in generating troops and in pre-deployment preparations. However, the report also highlights shortfalls in generating helicopters and ground transport. We are supporting the Department of Peacekeeping Operations by lobbying countries with the capability to meet this shortfall to contribute to UNAMID. We also continue to press all sides to ensure UNAMID meets the deployment timetable set out in UNSCR 1769 by assuming authority from the AU Mission in Sudan no later than 31 December 2007, with a view to achieving full operational capability and force strength as soon as possible thereafter.

Switzerland: Elections

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic initiatives he plans to take in response to the results of the Swiss elections.

Jim Murphy: No new diplomatic initiatives are planned. We enjoy an excellent bilateral relationship with the Swiss Government with regular exchanges at ministerial and official level.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Bankruptcy: Council Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many individual bankruptcy petitions were received by the official receivers where council tax arrears are mentioned as a significant reason in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

British Telecom

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many complaints Ofcom has received in the last 12 months from customers relating to contract cancellation fees levied by British Telecom in  (a) the North West and  (b) the UK.

Stephen Timms: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

British Telecom: Billing

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has taken to ensure that the recent decision by British Telecom to make additional charges for payment methods other than direct debit will not adversely and disproportionately affect low income and elderly people.

Stephen Timms: The increased charge for payment methods other than direct debit, does not apply to special tariff schemes for vulnerable customers provided by BT under the universal service obligation.
	The independent regulator the Office of Communications (OFCOM) announced on 6 June that it would carry out a full review of communications providers' additional charges. OFCOM expects to announce the conclusions of its review in the autumn and progress may be monitored on its website www.ofcom.org.uk
	The review covers charges for non-direct debit payments, as well as other additional charges including late payment, restoration of service and early termination fees. It also covers fixed and mobile operators, and pay TV services. OFCOM is looking at the nature and level of charges levied by communications providers and how well signposted and transparent such charges are. It is investigating how far consumers are aware of additional charges, whether they are able and willing to shop around on the basis of core prices and additional charges rather than just core prices, and whether there are certain groups of consumers who are unable to do this and therefore may be disadvantaged.
	On investigating this issue it became clear that it would be wrong to look at BT in isolation. More than 40 per cent. of homes are provided with telephony services by operators other than BT, and the differentials for payment by non-direct debit range from no extra charge to £15 a quarter. Some providers provide no payment option other than direct debit.

Citizen's Juries

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) his Department and its predecessor and  (b) his Department's and its predecessor's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Stephen Timms: Data from 1997 are not readily available and would require a significant review of all engagement activities and analysis of the techniques used, extracting costs for citizens' juries at a disproportionate cost.

Departments: Accountancy

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what departmental budget items have been reclassified, under Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, following Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 decisions; and what the  (a) former and  (b) new (i) classification and (ii) sum budgeted is in each case.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Carbon Emissions

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the volume of his Department's carbon dioxide emissions was in the last period for which figures are available; when his Department started to offset those emissions; and what the cost is expected to be of offsetting his Department's emissions in 2007-08.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for which Government websites he is responsible; how many visitors each received in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the cost  (a) was of establishing and  (b) has been of maintaining each site.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Legislation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which Bills in policy areas for which his Department is responsible introduced in the last five years have contained sunset clauses; and what plans he has for the future use of such clauses.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Legislation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which Bills introduced by his Department and its predecessors in the last five years did not contain sunset clauses; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Legislation

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many regulations his Department has  (a) brought forward and  (b) revoked over the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 24 October 2007
	BERR is responsible for one Act of Parliament receiving Royal Assent in the last 12 months. The former DTI was responsible for two Acts of Parliament receiving Royal Assent within the last 12 months.
	Data on Statutory Instruments are published by the Office of Public Sector Information. In the period 1 January 2006 to 30 June 2007, the former DTI was responsible for a total of 160 Statutory Instruments. Data for the period 1 July 2007 to date have not been published yet.
	Many of these individual pieces of legislation will update, replace or revoke existing legislation either completely or in part. Detail at the level of individual pieces of legislation can only be produced at disproportionate cost.
	The Government have committed to a 25 per cent. reduction in administrative burdens arising from regulation by 2010. In delivering this commitment, the Government are also repealing regulations where appropriate. BERR's Simplification Plan 2007 will be published later this year.

Departments: Manpower

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many and what percentage of employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department are above state retirement age.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member for Prorogation.

Departments: Manpower

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people are employed by his Department; and how many are  (a) permanent employees and  (b) temporary staff.

Stephen Timms: As of the 1 October 2007, BERR employs 2,529 people, of whom 48 are temporary staff.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the name is of each special adviser in his Department.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for and Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at the Department and its agencies in each year between 1997 and 2006 ; and what the total cost was of those bonuses.

Stephen Timms: Annual performance bonuses are paid to staff in the SCS for high performance sustained throughout the whole year. The percentage of the SCS pay bill to be spent on SCS performance bonuses is determined each year by the senior salaries review body.
	As the SCS bonus scheme was only introduced in 2002, information is provided from this point forward.
	
		
			   Number of staff awarded bonuses  Total amount of bonuses paid (£) 
			 2002 103 292,776 
			 2003 123 472,148 
			 2004 116 516,000 
			 2005 162 747,500 
			 2006 152 1,143,000 
		
	
	The data relate to bonuses awarded to those in core-DTI and its Executive Agencies in accordance with Cabinet Office Senior Civil Service pay arrangements.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on what dates his Department has breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the value of the breach was; and what the reason was for each breach.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many citizens' juries have been arranged by his Department since June 2007; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the estimated cost is of each exercise.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Publications

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment his Department has made of the impact of its publication Overseas Trade on the market for other international trade magazines.

John Hutton: holding answer 16 July 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Renewable Energy

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of the electricity used by his Department was generated from  (a) renewable sources and  (b) on-site microgeneration facilities in the last period for which figures are available.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Retirement

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many employees in  (a) his Department and  (b) each (i) executive agency and (ii) non-departmental public body funded by his Department applied to continue to work beyond state retirement age in the latest year or part thereof for which figures are available; and how many of those applications were successful.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Stationery

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much the Department for Trade and Industry spent on departmental branded stationery between 1 January and 27 June.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Tribunals

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent by his Department on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Departments: Visits Abroad

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many overseas visits were made by  (a) officials and  (b) Ministers within his responsibility, and at what cost, in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member before Prorogation.

Insurance: Liability

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he plans to examine the experience of Australian reforms to the liability insurance market in the construction industry in order to inform his policy towards the UK construction industry; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Department has no such plans.
	The Department has regular contacts with the construction industry about issues of concern.

Insurance: Liability

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he plans to review the operation of liability insurance in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Department has no plans to review the operation of liability insurance in the construction industry.

Iran: Export Credit Guarantees

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1816W, on Iran: export credit guarantees, what conclusions have been reached about the applicability of UN Security Council Resolution 1747 to the provision of export credits to Iran; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member before Prorogation.

Members: Correspondence

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Forest of Dean dated 16 July to the Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (Mr. Brown) regarding review of nuclear energy use.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 15 October 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Mobile Telephones: Radio Frequencies

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which spectrum bands will be affected by pan-European proposals on spectrum use by mobile telephone contractors; what assessment he has made of the impact of these proposals on  (a) those already occupying these channels and  (b) Ofcom's consultation process on spectrum allocation; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Non-Domestic Rates: Small Businesses

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities achieve high levels of uptake of the Small Business Rate Relief scheme amongst small businesses;
	(2)  what the average value of unmade claims for the Small Business Rate Relief scheme was in  (a) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland,  (b) Teesside and  (c) in the North East in the last period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what the take-up of the Small Business Rate Relief scheme was in  (a) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland,  (b) Teesside and  (c) in the North East in the most recent period for which figures are available.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Nuclear Power Stations

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he expects the  (a) Health and Safety Executive and  (b) Nuclear Installations Inspectorate to hire external consultants to carry out the process of generic design assessment for new nuclear power stations.

John Hutton: holding answer 26 June 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Nuclear Power Stations

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made by the Environment Agency on the process of pre-authorisation for new nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: holding answer 26 June 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Nuclear Power Stations

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made on the process of generic design assessment for new nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 26 June 2007
	Following a request from the Government, the regulators, published their guidance on the Generic Design Assessment process in January 2007.
	The consultation document "The Future of Nuclear Power" invited vendors of reactor designs who were interested in having their designs assessed to send applications to the regulators. The deadline for applications was 22 June 2007.
	The next step is an assessment of which of the applications received meet the criteria set down in the consultation document. Following this step, this Department, along with the other regulators, will be able to begin work on the generic design assessment process.

Nuclear Power Stations

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the capability of the Environment Agency to undertake the process of pre-authorisation for new nuclear power stations.

John Hutton: holding answer 26 June 2007
	 It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Nuclear Power Stations

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the capability of the  (a) Health and Safety Executive and  (b) Nuclear Installations Inspectorate to undertake the process of Generic Design Assessment for new nuclear power stations.

John Hutton: holding answer 26 June 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he expects the Environment Agency to hire external consultants to carry out the process of pre-authorisation for new nuclear power stations.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform by what date he expects the first design consent to be granted following the process of generic design assessment for new nuclear power stations.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform by what date he expects the first pre-authorisation consent for new nuclear power stations to be granted by the Environment Agency.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what budget his Department has allocated to the  (a) Health and Safety Executive and  (b) Nuclear Installations Inspectorate to carry out the process of generic design assessment for new nuclear power stations.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what budget his Department has allocated to the Environment Agency to carry out the process of pre-authorisation for new nuclear power stations.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Nuclear Power Stations: Construction

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many proposed designs the  (a) Health and Safety Executive and  (b) Nuclear Installations Inspectorate had received for generic design assessment by 22 June.

Malcolm Wicks: The consultation document "The Future of Nuclear Power", published on 23 May 2007 invited vendors of nuclear reactor designs who are interested in having their designs assessed through the Generic Design Assessment process to write to the regulators' Joint Programme Office by 22 June 2007.
	By this date, the regulators had received four applications for Generic Design Assessment. The next step will be an assessment of which of these applications meet the criteria set down in the consultation document. Following this step the applications and the result of the assessment will be published.

Office of Fair Trading: Pay

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many full-time members of staff there are at the Office of Fair Trading; and how many receive salaries of  (a) between £50,000 and £100,000,  (b) between £100,000 and £150,000 and  (c) above £150,000.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Overseas Investment

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his estimate is of the value of shares held by UK incorporated companies in foreign companies.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 10 September 2007
	This information is not held by Companies House.

Packaging

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons the provisions permitting companies to take private action through the courts against competitors who make use of misleading packaging were not included in the legislation transposing the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive into UK law.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Packaging

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the ability of UK manufacturers to prevent competitors from misrepresenting their products through the use of misleading and copycat packaging under the provisions of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Pipelines: Sakhalin Island

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether it is the Government's policy to require full compliance with World Bank and International Finance Corporation Standards if the Export Credits Guarantee Department is to support the Sakhalin II project.

Malcolm Wicks: ECGD's policy in respect of its assessment of the environmental, social and human rights impacts of projects is set out in its Case Impact Analysis Process, which is available on the ECGD website.

Post Offices: Closures

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many local area plans for the closure of sub-post offices will be developed for consultation; and on what date each such plan will be published for consultation.

Patrick McFadden: Post Office Ltd is continuing to work on implementation plans for local consultation on changes to the Post Office network following the Government's announcement of 17 May 2007,  Official Report, column 753. The company will undertake around 50 distinct area plans and a timetable published on its website shows when they expect to consult locally on proposals for changes in each area.

Post Offices: Closures

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the level of post office turnover of the impending closure of 2,500 post offices, broken down by region.

Patrick McFadden: Any such assessment would be an operational and budgetary matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply directly to the hon. Member.

Post Offices: Closures

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many jobs he estimates will be lost as a  (a) direct and  (b) indirect result of the closure of 2,500 post offices, broken down by region.

Patrick McFadden: The Government has introduced a range of criteria that guarantee a national level of access to post office services with additional safeguards for those most in need, such as communities in rural areas. In developing its area plan proposals for post office closures, Post Office Ltd takes into consideration the impact on the local economy of each community affected.
	The number of jobs likely to be lost directly as a result of post office closures is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd and I have therefore asked the Managing Director, Alan Cook, to reply direct to the hon. member.
	It is not possible to say what the impact of post office closures and substituting outreach for current services will be on any associated retail business and the number of any indirect job losses arising from this until the implementation of Post Office Ltd's network change programme is completed.

Postal Services

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his policy is on  (a) changes to the daily delivery times of mail to residential addresses and  (b) the collection of post on Sundays.

Patrick McFadden: Delivery times and collections are operational matters for Royal Mail in conjunction with Postcomm within the wider context of the Universal Service Obligation (USO).
	Sunday postings are very low, but add a huge amount of cost to the business. Royal Mail has to control its costs and has therefore stopped these collections.
	The Government are committed to the maintenance of a universal postal service and Postcomm's primary duty is to ensure this. Sunday and Bank Holiday collections are not part of the universal service obligation.

Power Stations

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the expected annual  (a) power output,  (b) primary energy input and  (c) carbon emissions are of (i) Port Talbot Power Station, (ii) Uskmouth Power Station and (iii) New Pembroke Power Station; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Port Talbot is a 1,300 MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) generating station, Uskmouth is a 800 MW CCGT and Pembroke is a 2,000 MW CCGT.
	All will be fuelled by natural gas and emissions of carbon will be approximately half of those from a coal-fired station.

Power Stations: Planning Permission

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when his Department expects to make a decision on the application for planning consent for  (a) Port Talbot Power Station,  (b) Uskmouth Power Station and  (c) New Pembroke Power Station; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council has objected to the proposal to build a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power station at Port Talbot. A public inquiry will now have to be held into the application before any decision can be taken.
	Consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for a 800 MW CCGT at Uskmouth was granted on 17 August 2007.
	Discussions on the proposed 2,000 MW CCGT station at Pennar Point, Pembroke are ongoing between the Environment Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales, Pembrokeshire county council, RWE and the Department. Until these discussions are concluded it is too early to say when a decision will be taken.

Prices: Information

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 100-1W, on prices: information, if he will place in the Library a copy of the brief given to Cambridge university when it was commissioned to undertake the study.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend before Prorogation.

Prices: Information

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 22 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 100-01W, on prices: information, if he will list the stakeholders which the experts from Cambridge University  (a) have met and  (b) plan to meet.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend before Prorogation.

Radioactive Waste: Waste Management

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to provide him with its report on site end states for those facilities of which it has ownership; and whether that report will provide information on  (a) the radioactive waste storage and/or disposal requirements for each site,  (b) the costs for waste storage and  (c) the expected timeline for decommissioning and closure of those stores.

Malcolm Wicks: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend before Prorogation.

Radioactive Waste: Waste Management

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on the progress of Dr. Tim Stone's review into arrangements for the costs associated with potential nuclear new build decommissioning and waste management.

John Hutton: It has not proved possible to respond to hon. Member before Prorogation.

Radioactive Wastes: Security

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will publish an update on the review of security arrangements for nuclear waste storage being undertaken by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Malcolm Wicks: It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend before Prorogation.

Regional Development Agencies: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the total budget is for each regional development agency for  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09,  (c) 2009-10 and  (d) 2010-11.

Stephen Timms: The Regional Development Agencies' allocated budgets for 2007-08 are set out in the table. The Department has also given them indicative budgets for 2008-09 to 2010-11 to enable them to produce Corporate Plans for approval in the new year.
	
		
			  000 
			  RDA  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Advantage West Midlands 290,960 279,064 275,378 268,914 
			 East of England Development Agency 136,557 131,803 130,228 127,184 
			 East Midlands Development Agency 175,536 159,709 157,668 153,972 
			 London Development Agency 374,149 389,674 384,626 375,604 
			 North West Development Agency 395,003 391,611 386,442 377,371 
			 One North East 277,050 247,696 244,361 238,619 
			 South East England Development Agency 162,887 159,707 157,832 154,145 
			 South West of England Regional Development Agency 159,339 156,981 155,053 151,425 
			 Yorkshire Forward 304,316 303,049 299,048 292,028

Regional Development Grants

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) research grants and  (b) development grants were made by each regional development agency (RDA) in each of the last five years; what the value of each of those grants was; and what the total budget for each RDA was for each type of grant in each year.

Stephen Timms: The number of grants for Research and Development given by Regional Development Agencies in each of the last five years is set out in the following tables.
	There were a large number of research and development grant issued during the period and information on the value of each individual grant, which is not held centrally, can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
	My Department does not set the RDA budgets for research and development as RDAs have been given flexibility to use their single budgets on the key regional priorities identified by their Boards. The amounts each RDA has spent in total on research and development is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number and value of grant for  R a nd D offers made 2002-03 
			   Research  Development 
			  Region  Number  Value ()  Number  Value () 
			 East 104 4,566,175 63 5,205,274 
			 East Midlands 31 1,386,516 38 3,546,216 
			 London 43 2,106,426 31 1,816,641 
			 North East 24 1,057,084 12 461,036 
			 North West 74 3,273,547 60 3,615,514 
			 South East 127 3,168,398 71 6,717,617 
			 South West 29 1,290,119 36 1,108,151 
			 West Midlands 28 1,083,382 15 1,308,370 
			 Yorks and Humber 37 1,608,495 61 3,178,704 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and value of grant for R and D offers made 2003-04 
			   Research  Development 
			  Region  Number  Value  ()  Number  Value  () 
			 East 113 5,513,048 61 6,841,673 
			 East Midlands 29 1,293,055 35 2,537,226 
			 London 66 3,450,712 43 4,246,077 
			 North East 20 909,488 17 1,374,583 
			 North West 74 3,719,914 71 4,531,199 
			 South East 108 5,107,287 95 7,808,286 
			 South West 12 623,849 34 2,089,794 
			 West Midlands 12 515,276 24 2,228,142 
			 Yorks and Humber 52 2,464,041 53 4,174,226 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and value of grant for R and D offers made 2004-05 
			   Research  Development 
			  Region  Number  Value  ()  Number  Value  () 
			 East 28 1,777,014 37 4,008,912 
			 East Midlands 12 712,592 10 984,615 
			 London 30 2,021,920 18 2,721,788 
			 North East 8 468,736 21 2,108,381 
			 North West 18 1,143,120 35 4,405,885 
			 South East 13 751,946 30 2,705,912 
			 South West 6 242,638 13 1,080,915 
			 West Midlands 10 594,287 19 1,826,892 
			 Yorks and Humber 21 1,356,361 28 1,746,950 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and value of grant for R and D offers made 2005-06 
			   Research  Development 
			  Region  Value ()  Number  Number  Value () 
			 East 18 1,111,361 9 1,234,000 
			 East Midlands 7 464,950 21 1,958,931 
			 London 17 1,163,236 14 2,055,717 
			 North East 4 202,312 18 1,149,848 
			 North West 6 447,590 11 1,505,211 
			 South East 26 1,601,827 36 2,464,127 
			 South West 3 190,418 5 170,742 
			 West Midlands 8 428,941 12 1,215,036 
			 Yorks and Humber 17 1,078,164 23 2,353,779 
		
	
	
		
			  Number and value of grant for R and D offers made 2006-07 
			   Research  Development 
			  Region  Number  Value ()  Number  Value () 
			 East 17 1,182,781 21 2,273,295 
			 East Midlands 20 1,298,162 41 3,957,424 
			 London 8 561,985 20 1,242,743 
			 North East 14 1,007,465 21 1,787,300 
			 North West 11 665,560 36 3,542,250 
			 South East 28 1,822,506 25 2,150,210 
			 South West 8 425,393 19 1,745,828 
			 West Midlands 11 628,878 15 1,038,758 
			 Yorks and Humber 10 634,792 33 2,815,132

Renewable Energy

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will break down by area of planned expenditure the provision for  (a) new and renewable sources of energy and  (b) capital grants to the private sector in relation to renewable energy recorded under function D on page 185 of his Department's Departmental Report 2006, Cm 6826.

John Hutton: holding answer 25 June 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Renewable Energy

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate his Department has made of the total proportion of UK  (a) electricity and  (b) energy which will come from renewable sources by (i) 2010, (ii) 2015 and (iii) 2020.

John Hutton: holding answer 25 June 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Renewable Energy: Standards

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make it his policy  (a) to set targets in the UK and  (b) to support the setting of targets in EU member states to reach the EU target of 20 per cent. of energy from renewable sources by 2020 through increases in renewable energy capacity; if he will make it his policy not to use or support targets based on tradable certificates; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: In common with other EU Governments, we agreed at this year's Spring European Council to the setting of national targets derived from the overall EU renewables target. We have not yet come to a firm position on whether tradable certificates should play a part in enabling those targets to be met.

Royal Mail: Government Assistance

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 146W, on Royal Mail: Government assistance, in which town or city the advisers from Deloitte were based.

John Hutton: holding answer 4 July 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Trade Unions: Government Assistance

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulator Reform what Government grants were available to trade unions; and how much was paid out through such schemes in each year between 1997 and 2006, broken down by scheme and recipient.

Patrick McFadden: Since 1997 the Government have had three strategic funds to encourage better industrial relations and increase modern working practices. The Partnership at Work Fund and the Strategic Partnership fund were available to both companies and unions. The following tables give (a) the commitments to unions under the Partnership at Work Fund and, (b) actual payments to unions under the Strategic Partnership Fund and the Union Modernisation Fund.
	
		
			  (a) Funds committed to unions 2000-03 
			  Union  Year in which commitment made  Amount given ()  Fund 
			 AEEU 2000 49,912 Partnership Fund(1) 
			 Unison 2000 32,500 Partnership Fund 
			 Community and Youth Workers Union 2000 50,000 Partnership Fund 
			 Unison 2000 13,440 Partnership Fund 
			 TUC 2000 14,450 Partnership Fund 
			 TUC 2000 24,300 Partnership Fund 
			 Scottish TUC 2000 37,575 Partnership Fund 
			 MSF 2000 20,000 Partnership Fund 
			 Royal College of Midwives 2000 34,000 Partnership Fund 
			 MSF 2000 30,000 Partnership Fund 
			 MSF 2000 26,405 Partnership fund 
			 Unison 2000 50,000 Partnership fond 
			 
			 TGWU 2001 50,000 Partnership Fund 
			 Unison 2001 14,000 Partnership Fund 
			 
			 Numast 2002 36,800 Partnership Fund 
			 Amicus 2002 47,360 Partnership fund 
			 TUC 2002 43,015 Partnership Fund 
			 TGWU 2002 42,276 Partnership Fund 
			 Royal College of Nursing 2002 18,650 Partnership Fund 
			 
			 Unison 2003 50,000 Partnership Fund 
			 (1) The Partnership at Work Fund was a Government grant scheme established by the DTI created in 1999 to encourage the development of industrial relations by encouraging employers and employees to work together effectively. The Partnership at Work Fund supported partnership projects within individual organisations. The fund is now closed. 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Funds paid to unions 
			  Union  Amount ()  Fund 
			  Year ended 31 March 2005   
			 TUC 26,472 Strategic Partnership Fund(1) 
			 GPMU 3,880 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			 GMB 96,871 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			 Amicus 37,592 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			 TUC 12,544 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			 UCATT 61,045 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			
			  Year ended 31 March 2006   
			 TUC 21,512 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			 GMB 108,000 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			 Amicus 261,381 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			 TUC 34,270 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			 UCATT 69,898 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			
			  Year ended 31 March 2007   
			 GMB 15,000 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			 TUC 68,000 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			 UCATT 4,443 Strategic Partnership Fund 
			 GMB 23,340.53 Union Modernisation Fund(2) 
			 Wales TUC 12,252.64 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 National Union of Teachers 7,377.84 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 Royal College of Midwives 43,329.35 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 Union of Finance Staff 7,083.30 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 United Road Transport Union 24,330.00 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 Community and District Nursing Association 8,125.65 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 British Dental Association 6,047.75 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 Connect 28,647.63 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 USDAW 104,011.73 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers 32,489.00 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 National Union of Journalists 11,475.34 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 ASLEF 13,232.25 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 General Federation of Trade Unions 23,284.48 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 Portman Group Staff Association 6,070.70 Union Modernisation Fund 
			 (1) Strategic Partnership projects reach out beyond single company projects to assess sectoral and regional issues. (2) The Union Modernisation Fund provides financial assistance to independent trade unions and their federations in support of innovative projects, which contribute to, or explore the potential for transformational change in the organisational effectiveness of efficiency of a union or unions, in the light of the changing needs, aspirations and behaviour of workers and employers in the changing UK Labour market.

Trade: Barbados

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many officials in his Department work on promoting trade between the United Kingdom and Barbados, broken down by grade; and how many did so in  (a) 1983,  (b) 1987,  (c) 1992,  (d) 1997 and  (e) each year between 1998 and 2005.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Trade: Bermuda

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many officials in his Department work on promoting trade between the United Kingdom and Bermuda, broken down by grade; and how many did so in  (a) 1983,  (b) 1987,  (c) 1992,  (d) 1997 and  (e) each year between 1998 and 2005.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Trade: Bermuda

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps he has  (a) taken and  (b) plans to take to increase trade between the United Kingdom and Bermuda; how much his Department has spent on trade promotion between the United Kingdom and Bermuda; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

UK Trade and Investment: Defence Export Service Organisation

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he was informed of the Prime Minister's decision to close the Defence Exports Services Organisation and to move part of its remit to UK Trade and Investment.

Gareth Thomas: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Union Modernisation Fund

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many applications have been received for round 2 funding under the Union Modernisation Fund; and for each what the  (a) applicant union,  (b) project title and  (c) amount of funding applied for was in each case.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 9 July 2007
	It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Wind Power

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has had from  (a) the Ministry of Defence,  (b) the shipping industry and  (c) other marine-based industries on the development of off-shore wind power.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has received a number of representations in recent years from the Ministry of Defence and marine-based industries covering a range of issues relating to the development of offshore wind power.
	We take a proactive approach in engaging with stakeholders in these areas. For example, we have established a number of for aincluding the Offshore Renewable Energy and Environmental Forum (OREEF), the Fishing Liaison with Offshore Wind and Wet Renewables Group (FLOWW), the Nautical and Offshore Renewable Energy Liaison Group (NOREL) and the Aviation Steering Groupin order to engage effectively with stakeholders.

Winfrith Nuclear Research Establishment

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the future maintenance and safety of the Winfrith nuclear site; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations he has received on reductions in funding to UKAEA Winfrith; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 16 October 2007
	My Department has received representations from stakeholders concerning the funding of nuclear decommissioning and clean up programmes at Winfrith and I met with the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr. Vaizey), on 8 October to discuss the matter. The NDA have also received representations on this, and will shortly be publishing for consultation its three year business plan which will set out its proposed allocation of funds across its 19 designated sites. It is for the NDA to plan programmes in consultation with the site licence companies. Safety remains the highest priority for the Government and the NDA.

Yorkshire Forward Regional Development Agency: Stationery

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent by Yorkshire Forward Regional Development Agency on headed paper in each of the last five years; and what each figure represents per sheet.

Stephen Timms: Over the last five years, between 2003-07, Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency for Yorkshire and the Humber have spent a total of 173,259, on 2,511 reams of headed paper based on an average purchase price of 69 per ream. This in turn represents a figure of 14p per sheet.
	The breakdown for each year is as follows:
	
		
			   Year cost ()  Number of reams  Cost (pence per sheet) 
			 2003 18,492 268 0.14 
			 2004 60,927 883 0.14 
			 2005 72,312 1,048 0.14 
			 2006 17,733 257 0.14 
			 2007 (to date) 3,795 (1)55 0.14 
			 (1) To date 
		
	
	Yorkshire Forward are in the process of changing the design of their headed paper from two-sided to one sided printing, and from four colours to two colours. This should reduce the cost per ream by approximately 50 per cent.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) ambushed and  (b) improvised explosive device attacks were carried out against International Security Assistance Force troops in Helmand Province in each month in 2007.

Des Browne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) commanders and  (b) foot soldiers surrendered to (i) the International Security Assistance Force and (ii) the Afghan National Army in each month in 2007.

Des Browne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Pinzgauer vector protected patrol vehicles have been issued to British forces in Afghanistan; how many such vehicles have been subject to mine and improvised explosive device strikes; and how many personnel have been killed or seriously injured while crewing such vehicles as a result of such strikes.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 12 September 2007
	We are in the process of implementing a programme to deploy Vector vehicles to support UK forces in Afghanistan. I am withholding the number of vehicles deployed as disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
	I am withholding details of incidents in which the UK military personnel have been killed or seriously injured by mine and improvised explosive devices whilst crewing Vector as disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
	However, I can confirm that as of 28 October 2007, two British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan by a mine or improvised explosive device while crewing Vector vehicles.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Mastiff protected patrol vehicles have been  (a) issued to British Forces in Afghanistan and  (b) subject to mine/IED strikes; and how many personnel have been killed or seriously injured while crewing such vehicles as a result of such strikes.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 12 September 2007
	We are in the process of implementing a programme to deploy the Mastiff vehicle to support UK forces in Afghanistan. In his statement to the House on 8 October, the Prime Minister announced that we would procure an additional 140 Mastiff vehicles, in addition to the 100 announced on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 74WS. I am withholding the precise number of vehicles deployed in Afghanistan as disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.
	I am withholding details of incidents in which UK military personnel were injured, as disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2007,  Official Report, column 331W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what the full strength of 12 Mechanised Brigade was at the start of their tour; and how many of the 213 personnel evacuated from Helmand were replaced with new personnel.

Des Browne: Approximately 4,600 of the approximately 7,400 UK personnel deployed to Afghanistan this summer were part of 12 Mechanised Brigade. The remainder were part of the National Support Element or units or individuals operating outside the 12 Mechanised Brigade chain of command but still taking part in the ISAF mission.
	Units of the UK armed forces deploy with sufficient numbers to allow resilience for rest and recuperation and any casualties and fatalities which may occur during their operational tour. If the operational capability of a unit is threatened by reductions in a unit's deployed establishment further unit augmentation can be provided but we do not have a formal process of replacing fatalities and casualties with new personnel.

Air Force: Military Bases

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of  (a) RAF Leeming,  (b) RAF Linton and  (c) Dishforth Airfield.

Bob Ainsworth: As my predecessor advised the hon. Member on 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1355W, and 18 May 2007,  Official Report, column 991W, the number and operation of military airfields is under constant review to ensure that the best use is made of the Defence Estate for our armed forces. As my predecessor also advised the hon. Member, the long term future of RAF Leeming is secure.
	RAF Linton-on-Ouse is one of six main sites that currently provide UK military flying training. The station may be affected by the UK Military Flying Training System (MFTS) procurement project which will cater for the future flying training needs of the armed forces. No decisions have yet been taken.
	As my predecessor advised the hon. Member on 16 May 2007,  Official Report, column 820W, we are currently reviewing our long-term requirements for all of the UK's military helicopter bases under Programme Belvedere. It is too early to say what the outcome of this study will be and what, if any, impact this will have on Dishforth Airfield. I will inform the House when I am able to say more.

Armed Forces: Casualties

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many high dependency battle casualties have been treated at  (a) Selly Oak,  (b) Headley Court and  (c) other units in 2007; and how many were treated in each preceding year since March 2003.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 29 October 2007
	The number of casualties classified as Very Seriously Injured (VSI) and Seriously Injured (SI) since current operations started in Iraq (2003) and Afghanistan (2001) are published and updated regularly on the MOD website.
	High Dependency Battle Casualties are not recorded as a separate classification of military patient. The majority of our battlefield casualties requiring hospital treatment receive this in NHS hospitals in Birmingham prior to transfer to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court for rehabilitation where this is clinically appropriate. In exceptional circumstances, such as in cases of severe brain trauma, spinal injuries and severe burns, a very few patients at any one time have been referred to other specialist facilities (either NHS or private) to ensure they receive the best possible care

Armed Forces: Casualties

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK  (a) casualties and  (b) high dependency casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan have been treated in US hospitals.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held centrally.

Armed Forces: Complaints

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the estimated cost to date is of recruitment of a service complaints commissioner; by what means and where the post was advertised; on what date advertisements were placed in which publications; how many applications were received; and how many further posts will be advertised for the Commissioner's Office;
	(2)  what consideration he has given to providing office facilities for the Service Complaints Commissioner located outside the Ministry of Defence establishment.

Bob Ainsworth: The recruitment process for the Service Complaints Commissioner closely follows the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code to ensure appointment on merit following a fair and open competition. The recruitment campaign cost some 40,500 (including VAT), which includes the use of independent recruitment consultants, advertisements in the national press and on the internet. The post was advertised in  T he Sunday Times Public Appointments section on 3 June and  The Times Public Agenda section on 5 June. 93 applications were received for the post.
	Other matters related to the Service Complaints Commissioner's office will be for the Commissioner to decide.
	We expect to announce the appointment of the Service Complaints Commissioner shortly.

Armed Forces: Coroners

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on legal representation of his Department's interests at inquests into the deaths of service men and women on active service overseas held since the commencement of the second Iraq War.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 29 October 2007
	A coroner's inquest is a non-adversarial fact finding inquiry at which there is rarely a need for legal representation and in the majority of inquests MOD does not instruct a legal team. Where MOD, as an interested person, does engage legal representation this is to assist the coroner in his statutory function where, for example, complex or novel issues may arise.
	Up to 30 September 2007 MOD has spent approximately 661,096 on external legal representation at 30 inquests held into deaths of service personnel arising from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan since 19/20 March 2003. Of this, 8,841, at nine inquests, involved legal expenditure incurred to assist the coroner prior to the hearings at which the MOD was not otherwise legally represented.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what average number of nights members of  (a) the Army,  (b) the Royal Navy,  (c) the Royal Air Force and  (d) all service personnel spent away from home in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: Time spent away from 'the family home' is not recorded for members of the armed forces. Time spent away is measured when an individual is away from their normal place of duty and is referred to as Separated Service (SS). Statistics are presented in the form of percentages of personnel breaching harmony rather than average number of nights spent away per person. Recording of SS only began in 2004 for all three Services.
	 Arm y
	Information on Army Separated Service is published in the quarterly 'Army Separated Service Report'. To enable reporting against Service Individual Harmony Guidelines (IHG), the Army Separated Service Report publishes periods of separation over a period of 30 months. Harmony guidelines recommend that a soldier should do no more than 415 days SS in any 30-month period. Latest Army statistics state that 10.3 per cent. of the Army is spending more than 415 days away from home base in a 30-month period, down by 3.1 per cent. since 1 January 2007, which equates to around 9,935 Army personnel exceeding harmony guidelines.
	 Royal Navy
	Before April 2004, SS was not recorded for individuals. However, for the period from 1997 until April 2004, units were programmed to meet a '60:40' operational pattern60 per cent. deployed away from Base Port; 40 per cent. working at Base Port. Personnel attached to such a unit could therefore be assumed to have spent 60 per cent. (219 days) of a year away from their Base Port.
	In 2004 the recording of SS for individuals was introduced. The threshold for individual SS is currently 660 days away in a rolling 3-year period (referred to as 660/3) as a Category A (mandatory) Personnel Functional Standard (PFS). This guarantees individuals a minimum of 435 days at the home base over 3 years' harmony time. Due to the proactive management of individuals there is currently 1 per cent. of Naval Service personnel breaching the harmony guidelines of 660/3. Currently around 59 Naval personnel are breaching harmony.
	 Royal Air Force
	The Royal Air Force operates a slightly different system which allows for greater flexibility within Expeditionary Air Wings. Under Harmony Guidelines an individual can be away for up to 140 days in a 12-month period before breaching harmony. However, the aspiration is not to deploy an individual for more than four months in every 20. The current SS figure (that is to say, those RAF personnel spending more than 140 days away from the home base in a 12-month period) is 6.7 per cent. of trained strength (around 2,918 RAF personnel).

Armed Forces: Deployment

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department's Harmony Guidelines have been met across all three services since the publication of the Autumn Performance Report in 2006.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 22 October 2007
	 Updated figures are set out in the 2007-08 first quarter performance report, copies of which are available at the MOD website:
	www.mod.uk.

Armed Forces: Divorce

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the divorce rate is among serving personnel in  (a) the Army,  (b) the Royal Navy,  (c) the Royal Air Force and  (d) all services.

Derek Twigg: This information is no longer held centrally, following the phased implementation of the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system.
	To collect and collate marital status from units, in order to produce figures for divorce rates, could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Health Services

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to ensure that NHS boards in Scotland are  (a) aware of and  (b) implementing their responsibilities in respect of the treatment of armed services personnel and veterans.

Derek Twigg: The responsibility of ensuring NHS boards in Scotland are aware of and implementing their responsibilities in respect of the treatment of armed services and veterans is a matter for the Scottish Executive. The MOD has regular discussions at various levels to assist them in this respect.

Armed Forces: Health Services

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid in accelerated access fees to provide service personnel and veterans with priority access to NHS facilities in  (a) England,  (b) Wales and  (c) Scotland in the last year for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: In financial year 2006-07 the Ministry of Defence paid just under 30 million for activity (out-patient and in-patient care) for Service personnel from the five NHS trusts hosting MOD Hospital Units (MDHUs) and from University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT) which hosts the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine. Under previous agreements, the MOD pays for all treatment for Service personnel at the five MDHU hosting NHS hospital Trusts and UHBFT.
	Of this total, around 6.5 million was paid for emergency care delivered under NHS emergency access standards, and the balance of around 23.5 million was paid for elective treatment.
	While the Ministry of Defence pays standard NHS tariffs as any other commissioner of secondary healthcare, we seek to invest this 23.5 million to gain optimal accelerated access for the assessment and treatment of Service personnel in a faster timescale than NHS standard target times to meet operational requirements.
	In addition to the aforementioned sums, the MOD spends around 1 million annually for accelerated access outside the MDHU host Trusts and UHBFT. This includes paying for rapid access to MRI scans for Service personnel undergoing rehabilitation at one of our Regional Rehabilitation Units in the UK to provide an early diagnostic capability.
	Veterans who are in receipt of benefits for a condition attributable to their service in the armed forces are entitled to priority treatment from the NHS for this condition. The MOD does not pay for priority treatment for veterans; the cost of this falls to the relevant health authority.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service living accommodation and service families' accommodation units were empty in each of the last 12 months; and how much his Department paid in rent to Annington Homes for these properties over that period.

Derek Twigg: The number of single living accommodation (SLA) bedspaces unoccupied over each of the last 12 months is not available. However, as at 1 April 2007, there were some 34,181 unoccupied bedspaces out of a total number of some 138,000 bedspaces. The Ministry of Defence does not pay any rent to Annington Homes Ltd. (AHL) for SLA.
	The total number of empty Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties during each of the previous 12 months are shown in the table. The numbers have been sub-divided into those empty properties in England/Wales and Scotland. The reason for this is that the Department does not pay rent to Annington Homes Limited (AHL) on the housing stock in Scotland as they are not owned by AHL.
	The MOD pays 42 per cent. of the annual market rent of each property to AHL. This can be averaged out at approximately 3,500 per property per annum.
	
		
			   England and Wales   
			   Number   million  Scotland  (Number)  Total  (Number) 
			  2006 
			 September 7,819 27.36 834 8,653 
			 October 7,941 27.70 855 8,796 
			 November 8,004 28.01 844 8,848 
			 December 8,016 28.06 879 8,895 
			  2007 
			 January 8,197 28.69 893 9,090 
			 February 8,335 29.17 921 9,256 
			 March 8,462 29.61 916 9,378 
			 April 8,190 28.66 833 9,023 
			 May 8,294 29.03 822 9,116 
			 June 8,424 29.48 835 9,259 
			 July 8,457 29.60 833 9,290 
			 August 8,639 30.24 871 9,510 
			 September 8,422 29.48 958 9,380 
			 October 8,253 28.78 963 9,216 
		
	
	It should be noted that Service personnel who are married or are in a civil partnership have an entitlement to Service Family Accommodation (SFA) as part of their conditions of service. To meet this obligation it is necessary for Defence Estates to queue homes for people; this differs from the situation in local authorities who manage waiting lists. This involves holding properties as a management margin to achieve this objective.
	At present, a number of SFA are held pending planned moves of Service Units and this figure will decrease as moves occur. In addition, sufficient void levels have to be maintained to allow properties to be modernised. They also include properties awaiting upgrading, disposal or demolition. The number of void properties is kept under review and work is ongoing to reduce the margin.

Armed Forces: Married People

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of those serving in the armed forces are married.

Derek Twigg: This information is no longer held centrally, following the phased implementation of the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system.
	Marital category is held within the JPA system and this relates to entitlement to certain allowances based on marriage/civil partnership and liability for dependant children rather than the pure legal marital status of personnel.
	To collect and collate marital status from units could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Army Board: Official Cars

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of providing a car and driver to the  (a) Chief of the General Staff,  (b) Assistant Chief of the General Staff,  (c) Adjutant General and  (d) members of the Army Board in 2006.

Derek Twigg: The cost for providing a car and driver to members of the Army Board in 2006 was as follows:
	
		
			Cost () 
			 Secretary of State Not funded by MOD  
			
			 Minister Driver 1 x civilian Salary range 12,000 to 24,000 
			 (Armed Forces) Car 5,475 
			
			 Minister Driver 1 x civilian Salary range 12,000 to 24,000 
			 (Defence Equipment and Support) Car 5,796 
			
			 Under-Secretary of State Driver 1 x civilian Salary range 12,000 to 24,000 
			  Car 4,803 
			
			 Chief of the General Staff Driver 1 x Sgt Salary range 29,000 to 39,000 
			  Car 4,833 
			
			 2(nd) Permanent Under-Secretary Driver 1 x civilian Salary range 12,000 to 24,000 
			  Car 4,833 
			
			 Commander in Chief Land Driver 1 x Sgt Salary range 27,000 to 33,000 
			  1 x civilian 12,000 to 24,000 
			  Car 4,833 
			  Car 800 
			
			 Adjutant General Driver 1 x Sgt Salary range 27,000 to 33,000 
			  Car 3,281 
			
			 Assistant Chief of the General Staff Driver 1 x Cpl Salary range 24,000 to 30,000 
			  Car 6,745 
			
			 Quartermaster General Driver 1 x Cpl Salary range 24,000 to 30,000 
			  Car 4,344 
			
			 Master General of the Ordnance Driver 1 x Cpl Salary range 24,000 to 30,000 
			  Car 4,471 
			
			 GOC NI Driver 1 x Cpl Salary range 24,000 to 30,000 
			  Car (1) 
			 (1) Vehicles used by GOC NI are available for use by others within the Headquarters. Ownership and maintenance costs are not held centrally nor are they directly attributable to the GOC. 
		
	
	The salary scales for the civilian drivers employed do not include London weighting or overtime. Vehicle costs are contract/hire costs or maintenance costs as appropriate. Information on fuel usage is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence: Exports

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department will still have support for defence exports as part of its remit following the changes to departmental responsibilities in this area announced on 25 July 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: Yes. When the change of departmental responsibilities for defence trade promotion is put in to effect, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will remain committed to supporting defence exports. A service level agreement setting out the future relationship between the MOD and UK Trade and Investment on defence trade promotion is currently being drafted. In addition, MOD will remain responsible for exports made under Government-to-Government agreements.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost is of procuring one  (a) SA-80 rifle,  (b) Type-45 Destroyer,  (c) Astute Class Submarine,  (d) Typhoon aircraft,  (e) Chinook helicopter and  (f) Apache helicopter.

Bob Ainsworth: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Departments: Civil Proceedings

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many were settled out of court, before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements cost the public purse since 1998.

Derek Twigg: It has not proved possible to respond to the right hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Departments: Contracts

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what circumstances his Department awards contracts to outside organisations without undertaking a tendering process.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department's commercial policy and procedures require a tendering process to be undertaken whenever it is proposed to award contracts to outside organisations on either a competitive or non-competitive (i.e. single source) basis.

Departments: Lisbon Agenda

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policies his Department has adopted to assist the United Kingdom's fulfilment of the Lisbon Agenda criteria.

Bob Ainsworth: The Government fully support the aims of the Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs. Reforms across EU member states consistent with the Strategy to boost productivity and skills, expanding participation in the labour market and increasing social inclusion, are key parts of the response to the challenges and opportunities of globalisation.
	In line with the aims of the Lisbon Strategy, the Government are pursuing a comprehensive programme of long-term structural reform to deliver strong and sustainable economic performance and employment growth. This is set out in the UK National Reform programme, progress against which the Government report on annually. The most recent progress report was published in September and is available in the Library of the House and on the website of HM Treasury.

Departments: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any of his Department's special advisers have declared a conflict of interest.

Derek Twigg: Special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Departments: Ministerial Responsibilities

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Ministerial responsibilities are of each member of his ministerial team.

Derek Twigg: The Defence Minister's responsibilities are explained on the Cabinet Office website at
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ministerial_responsibilities.aspx
	and MOD website at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/People/Ministers/.

Departments: Official Engagements

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his official engagements were between 9 September and 7 October.

Des Browne: Throughout the period from 9 September until 7 October, I had various meetings in London and Scotland, including with ministerial colleagues and officials from the MOD and Scotland Office. On 12 September, I hosted a seminar on conflict resolution at Glasgow university. On 13 September, I visited HQ 52 Brigade in Edinburgh prior to their deployment to Afghanistan. On 18 September, I hosted the Commander Multi-national forces Iraq (General Petraeus) and the US Ambassador to Iraq (Ambassador Crocker) in London for talks. On 19 September I met the US Ambassador to Afghanistan (Ambassador Woods) to discuss the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and, later that day, also met the Canadian Defence Minister for bilateral discussions, including on our joint commitment to Afghanistan. On 20 September, I attended the opening of the new BBC building in Glasgow and met the Director General of the BBC for discussions. On 28 and 29 September, I attended a meeting of EU Defence Ministers to discuss a range of issues, including Kosovo and Afghanistan.

Departments: Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions he has visited each region in an official capacity in the last 12 months.

Des Browne: The number of visits to the regions by Defence Ministers between 1 October 2006 and 19 October 2007 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Secretary of State  Minister for the Armed Forces  Minister for Defence Equipment and Support  Under-Secretary of State 
			 South East 3 13 4 17 
			 London 6 7 3 14 
			 South West 2 9 16 9 
			 East of England 1 2 1 5 
			 West Midlands 2 4 2 13 
			 East Midlands 0 2 0 4 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 0 2 0 3 
			 North West 0 0 3 7 
			 North East 0 0 1 1

Departments: Public Expenditure

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the additional 2.7 billion funding for defence programmes to 2010-11 announced at page 231, Annex D8 of the Comprehensive Spending Review, Cm 7227, is earmarked for the progress work on the renewal of  (a) the Trident nuclear launch platform and  (b) sustaining the capabilities of AWE Aldermaston nuclear warhead design and development work.

Des Browne: holding answer 24 October 2007
	 Of the additional funding made available to the Ministry of Defence in the comprehensive spending review, some 800 million is currently planned for maintaining the United Kingdom's deterrent capability beyond the life of the current system, as set out in the December 2006 White Paper, The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994) and endorsed by Parliament on 14 March 2007. Some 200 million is for the programme of investment in sustaining capabilities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), both to ensure we can maintain the existing warhead for as long as necessary and to enable us to develop a replacement warhead should that be required.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on what dates his Department breached its  (a) resource,  (b) near-cash,  (c) administration and  (d) capital budgets since 2001; what the value of each breach was; and what the reason was for each breach;
	(2)  in which financial years since 2001 his Department's outturn for its capital budget at the end of the year was less than planned at the beginning of the year; and what the  (a) value and  (b) reason for the underspend was in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 763W, to the right hon. Member for West Dorset (Mr. Letwin). I have placed a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Departments: Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many citizens' juries were arranged for  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in each year since 1997; which organisations were commissioned to conduct each citizens' jury; and what the cost was of each.

Derek Twigg: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Standards

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of his Department's public service agreement targets  (a) take and  (b) do not take account of rural proofing.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence's current public service agreement targets set out in the 2004 spending review, and the future targets set out in the 2007 comprehensive spending review cover provision of military capability and delivery of the Government's international defence and security objectives. As such they raise no issues relevant to rural proofing. Strategic environmental assessments are undertaken on Defence Estates programmes and plans, and sustainability appraisals are undertaken on projects. These assessments consider the social, economic and environmental effects on the rural and urban communities within which we operate and ensure that due consideration is given to the likely impact of new initiatives on rural communities.

Future Large Aircraft

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress being made with the A400M.

Bob Ainsworth: The first complete A400M airframe is now installed in the EADS static test facility at Getafe, near Madrid, in Spain. The first development aircraft is in production at the final assembly line in Seville (Spain). However, the company has recently announced a delay to the contracted delivery schedule of six months to one year. The OCCAR executive administration, on behalf of the A400M partner nations will closely monitor progress under the contract against milestones and regular updates from the company.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of Taliban commanders who have surrendered in Afghanistan as a result of  (a) diplomatic and  (b) military means.

Des Browne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of Taliban members who surrendered then subsequently returned to anti-western forces.

Des Browne: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken by his Department to obtain a full record of the number of aeromedical evacuations and field hospital admissions in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan before 1 January 2006.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence is analysing records of aeromedical evacuations prior to January 2006 for both Afghanistan and Iraq, with a view to releasing validated data onto the Ministry of Defence website.
	Data for field hospital admissions in Iraq prior to January 2006 is being assessed for validation and release.
	We do not hold records centrally for all field hospital admissions prior to January 2006 for Afghanistan and gathering the data could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British soldiers have served in Iraq in the last three years.

Des Browne: Between January 2003 and January 2007, centrally held records indicate that around 134,000 UK personnel deployed to the Joint Operational Area for Operation TELIC. Centrally held records do not indicate how long each individual spent in theatre, and these figures will include those who were making short visits in addition to those on full deployments. In addition, there may be some double-counting of personnel who have deployed more than once over the period. More detailed information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been  (a) allocated and  (b) spent on adapting dwellings for UK armed services personnel disabled by injury sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan in each year since March 2003.

Derek Twigg: Adapting accommodation for all injured and disabled service personnel is taken very seriously by the Department and funds are allocated and spent on adapting accommodation as required. These funds are expended by the local commanders and records of such spend are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the 10 most common injuries sustained in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan were in each year for which records are available; and how many casualties there were in each class of such injury.

Derek Twigg: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member's question in the time available before Prorogation.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the unit production cost of the Joint Strike Fighter for financial years 2008-09 to 2024-25.

Bob Ainsworth: Unit production costs will be dependant on the number of aircraft being produced for all other partner nations and the delivery profile. The UK's procurement cost is likely to be up to 10 billion, depending on the number of aircraft required.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of procuring the  (a) Super Hornet,  (b) marinised Eurofighter and  (c) Rafale in the event of a delay or cancellation of the Joint Strike Fighter programme.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 29 October 2007
	 In reaching the Joint Combat Aircraft selection decision, we assessed a number of options including Typhoon, Rafale and Super Hornet. Our judgment was, and remains, that the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) represents the most affordable solution to best meet United Kingdom requirements.

Military Aid: Floods

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the contribution of the armed forces during the recent flooding emergency;
	(2)  how many armed forces personnel were involved in the assistance of civil authorities during the recent flooding emergency.

Bob Ainsworth: Approximately 1,000 personnel drawn from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, the Army and the Royal Air Force were involved during the recent flooding emergency in southern England, although only about 350 personnel were deployed at any one time. All personnel were deployed at the request of the Environment Agency, and undertook tasks such as search and rescue, construction of emergency flood defences and the distribution of bulk and bottled water. This armed forces deployment did not impact on either pre-deployment training or support to current operations.
	No further comment would be appropriate at this time due to the ongoing independent inquiry which was announced by the Secretary of State for the Environment and Rural Affairs on 12 July 2007.

Military Attachs

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes in costs will be effected for his Department through the rebalancing of resources in the defence attach network.

Bob Ainsworth: The measures announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 17 September 2007,  Official Report, column 125WS, are likely to result in a decrease in the costs of the defence attach network to the MOD to an estimated 33.8 million in 2008-09 from the total estimated cost of 38.3 million in 2007-08.

Nuclear Weapons: Expenditure

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the projected expenditure is in the period covered by the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review on  (a) the UK nuclear deterrent programme, including on the atomic weapons establishment and the future submarine programme,  (b) the atomic weapons establishment and  (c) the future submarine programme.

Des Browne: Projected expenditure on all aspects of the United Kingdom's independent nuclear deterrentoperation of and support to the current deterrent system, the costs of the atomic weapons establishment and expenditure on the programme to maintain the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent capability beyond the life of the current systemover the next three years is expected to be:
	
		
			billion at outturn prices 
			 2008-09 1.7 
			 2009-10 2.0 
			 2010-11 2.1 
		
	
	Expenditure at the Atomic Weapons Establishment is expected to be:
	
		
			million at outturn prices 
			 2008-09 800 
			 2009-10 900 
			 2010-11 950 
		
	
	The estimated costs of the programme to maintain the United Kingdom's deterrent capability beyond the life of the current system, as set out in the December 2006 White Paper, 'The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent' (Cm 6994) and endorsed by Parliament on 14 March 2007, over the next three years are:
	
		
			million at outturn prices 
			 2008-09 200 
			 2009-10 300 
			 2010-11 400

Peacekeeping Operations

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel have served in  (a) Afghanistan since 2001 and  (b) Iraq since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: Between January 2003 and January 2007, centrally held records indicate that around 134,000 UK personnel deployed to the Joint Operational Area for Operation TELIC. Between October 2005 and January 2007, centrally held records indicate that around 24,500 UK personnel deployed to the Joint Operational Area for Operation HERRICK. Centrally held records do not indicate how long each individual spent in theatre, and these figures will include those who were making short visits in addition to those on full deployments. In addition, there may be some double-counting of personnel who have deployed more than once over the period. More detailed information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Reserve Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many volunteer reservists in each service were deployed on operations in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The introduction of the Joint Pay Administration (JPA) system, which led to the closure of legacy systems, means that provision of the historical information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much  (a) capital and  (b) revenue expenditure was made on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in each of the last 10 years; what the forecast expenditure is in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he will reply to question 151522 on Royal Fleet Auxiliary tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth South on 19 July.

Bob Ainsworth: CinCFleet does not manage operating costs on the basis of individual ships or ship types, but on functions. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) does not therefore have a distinct, identifiable budget, and figures for the running costs of RFA vessels are either not available or could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, for other categories of expenditure the following indicative figures are available for the years 2002-03 to 2007-08. We have defined Revenue Expenditure as Resource Expenditure under the current Treasury control framework.
	
		
			   million 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08( 1) 
			  Revenue expenditure   
			 RFA Manpower Pay and Allowances(2)   92 96 100 102 
			 New Build 0.5 23 0.7 4 0.04 0.4 
			 Maintenance of Ships(3) 53 83 29 28 45 43 
			 RFA Vessels: Asset Depreciation and Cost of Capital(2)   65 67 89 119 
			
			  Capital expenditure   
			 New Build 94 124 90 55 77 32 
			 Maintenance of Ships(3) 8 13 47 40 21 46 
			 (1) The figures for 2007-08 are forecasts based on expenditure to date. (2) Figures for manpower pay and allowances and for asset depreciation and cost of capital before 2004-05 are not available centrally. (3) From 2004-05, expenditure on refit work was recategorised from Revenue to Capital expenditure. 
		
	
	Spending plans for future years are kept under review as part of the departmental planning round. The RFA will continue to be funded at a level that ensures it is able to meet its operational and standing commitments.